Recovery
by WildClover27
Summary: The last part of the series beginning with Too Close for Comfort and then Retribution. Recovery can have several different meanings. Which of these will have an effect Garrison and his men?
1. Chapter 1

**Recovery**

 **Chapter 1**

The huge room hummed quietly with low voices as high-ranking officers spoke together about things that should probably not have been discussed in a non-military setting. The scattering of women throughout the large ballroom were just as quiet, mostly attending to the men they were with, whether they were husbands or lovers. Crystal chandeliers spread enough light to dispel any atmosphere of intimacy as patterns from the prisms played down the cream brocade covered walls. The floor was wood, waxed to a sheen conducive to formal dancing, though there was no music except the soft strains of German classical pieces played by a trio of violinists.

Dark eyes roved around the room, watching for trouble as the owner sipped at a glass of champagne. The skin and features were too dark to be pure German. It would have been hard to tell what his nationality was if anybody had taken an interest in the unobtrusive young man in tuxedo standing between the buffet table and the opening into the hall.

Those same dark eyes now followed an auburn-haired woman a few years older than him as she wove slowly around the small clusters of people on her way to the buffet. Her hair was coiffed atop her head with diamond pins. The sheer gauze overlay of her green dress picked up the light from the chandeliers and seemed to shimmer as she moved with an unconscious grace. Obviously of a higher social class than the young man, she ignored him as though he were merely a piece of furniture. The young man darted glances at her as he continued to peruse the occupants of the room.

The woman started at the far end of the table, picking up two plates and studying the foods available before adding different samples to each plate. She slowly worked her way past the wild boar, venison, and seafood, taking samples of each. Foie gras was placed on one plate only. As she reached the end closest to the dark man, a faint smile came to her lips. The other plate received three crackers with crème fraise and beluga caviar. As an afterthought, two more crackers with caviar were placed beside the goose liver, wild boar and liver pate. Satisfied, she picked up two napkins and forks. Eyes barely skimming over the younger man, she turned and made her way back to the older, tall, dark-haired aristocratic general she had arrived with.

A slight blond waiter stepped in front of the younger man, with a tray of fresh drinks. The dark one shook his head and the waiter moved on. A taller, blond tuxedoed man entered from the hall and stopped beside the man sipping champagne.

"She doing all right?" murmured the blond.

"So far," answered the dark haired one quietly. "She found the caviar."

"At least some things are normal."

The blue-green hazel eyes gazed slowly around the room until they found the tall man and auburn-haired woman. He watched the couple. The German general was taking bites of whatever had been piled on his plate and ignoring the woman who had brought him the treats. She seemed unconcerned and content to stand a little behind his right shoulder, showing no interest in the conversation between her partner, another general and a field marshal. Leave it to the confidence man to strike up a conversation with a field marshal.

"Get what you were after, Warden?" asked Chief in a quiet voice after people had moved out of hearing.

"Yes," said Garrison. "Casino should be back to the car by now. We'll have to give a heads up to Goniff to get out, then try to pry Actor and Terry away from their little group."

"Think he's getting anything good out of that field marshal?" asked Chief.

Garrison remained silent until a couple had approached, filled a plate with food from the table, and moved on. "He'd better be."

Goniff returned to the main salon from the kitchen, a tray with full glasses of champagne balanced on his upturned widely spread fingers. He seemed to catch sight of the Lieutenant, who wore the uniform of a Major. Garrison gave a slow nod.

The slight man moved around the room accepting empty glasses in return for full ones. He worked his way over to the auburn-haired girl and the tall general. She shook her head at the tray offering the champagne. Goniff tilted his head in a sign to her, and moved on.

After the 'waiter' had disappeared from the room, the girl casually placed a hand on the small of her general's back. The light double tap of her finger was not seen. There was not even the slightest pause in the man's speaking. The girl took another dainty bite of the remaining cracker with caviar. Five minutes later the general glanced at his watch and apologized to the other two German officers for having to leave. After all, it was one o'clock in the morning and he had to catch a train at five o'clock. With a brief partial bow to the field marshal, the tall man turned away and escorted the girl in the direction of the door. She took the empty plate from him, added it to her own, and placed them on a standing tray in passing.

When Garrison saw they were on a meandering path to the doorway, he and Chief moved into the hall and proceeded toward the door to the car park. The five met at the car. Casino already had the engine running. Chief and Goniff got into the front and the other three got into the back, with Terry between her brother and Actor.

The big car pulled slowly out and turned onto the road. Garrison and Actor turned in their seats, so they could see out the back window. Terry pulled her fox stole closer around herself and settled into her seat.

Actor glanced at Garrison. "I trust you obtained the information you were after from the safe."

Garrison nodded. "And then some. How about you? Learn anything of interest from the general and your friend the field marshal?"

"Yes," replied the Italian. "Very interesting man, the field marshal. Graduated with honors from the University in Heidelberg . . ."

"Besides that," interrupted Garrison before the con man could really get started.

"They are still working on a jet engine that is supposed to outfly anything the Army Air Force and the RAF have," said Actor.

Garrison nodded. "That will go with the manufacturing plant plans that were in the safe." He looked at his sister with amusement. "I see you discovered the caviar. I could have just had Cinder send you a jar of salmon eggs."

The girl gave him a sour look. "Salmon eggs are fish bait, Brother Dear."

"Beluga is not in the same class as 'fish bait'," said Actor dryly.

Garrison watched his sister. "Did you hear anything we need to know?"

The girl shrugged, "Just what Actor heard."

Garrison did not press for more. He supposed it wasn't bad for her first mission since the skull fracture. Maybe when she became more comfortable with the role she was playing, she would venture to overhear more. At least they were going back by sub this time. The altitude in the plane had triggered her headache. That seemed to be gone now.

GGGGG

Once back to the Mansion at ten o'clock in the morning, Terry headed straight for the stairs.

"Breakfast is on the table, Lads," said the Sgt./Major perkily. "It's real eggs," he added.

With that, they all trooped into the dining room. Craig noticed his sister was not eating as much as she usually did. And it wasn't because she was making sure the men got the lion's share of the food. When they were finished eating, Craig led them toward his office.

"Quick debrief," he said.

He noticed Terry cast a longing glance up the stairs before following the men to the office. Craig stopped her. That caught the attention of the other men who wondered what was going on.

"You said you don't have anything to report?" said the officer questioningly.

She shook her head.

"You can go to bed," Garrison said. "No use sitting through this."

The girl turned on her heels and walked back to the stairs. When Garrison turned back to his office, there were four pair of eyes watching him. He closed the door behind him and walked silently to his spot at the head of the slightly scarred wooden conference table.

"What was that about, Warden?" asked Casino.

When Garrison didn't answer, Actor picked up the train of thought. "I would imagine she has another headache she is trying to hide and she is exhausted. Just like any of the rest of us after the first mission following an injury."

"Yeah," objected Casino. "But we still have to sit through this."

"She doesn't have anything to add to what was gathered by Actor," said the Lieutenant. "no reason for her to stay."

The expressions on three of the men's faces showed they did not like that explanation. The confidence man wore his usual non-committal expression, which could mean he didn't care or he did not like the explanation either.

Terry was the last one downstairs. Chief was at his usual window seat and the Bobbsey Twins were cheating at solitaire as always. The Indian looked at her first. She appeared a little pale and not her usual bubbly self.

Goniff looked up and took in her countenance. He grinned, "'Ello Love. 'Ow are you doing?"

"Fine," said the girl with a forced smile.

"You're beginning to sound like the Warden," said Casino, glancing at her.

She ignored that and walked into her brother's office. Craig was sitting at his desk and Actor was sitting at the conference table. Both men looked up at her entrance. They wondered when she closed the door behind her.

"Okay, so what did I screw up on?"

Both men stared at her at that.

"You didn't screw up anything," said Garrison flatly.

"Well, I woke up and realized I sit in on debriefings. Even for missions I'm not on," said the girl. "And I believe you asked me twice what information I had gathered. I'm sorry. Does being his," she gestured toward Actor, "pet whore entail wandering around the room eavesdropping on other conversations for information you and he aren't getting? I can do that." She turned in accusation toward Actor. "When were you going to tell me that? Or were you?"

"Teresa," said the con man patiently, "you are recovering from a severe head injury. I was trying to ease you back in and not overload you." He turned to Garrison. "It is entirely my fault, Lieutenant."

Craig watched his sister. Even that admission from the Italian seemed to set her off. She shook her head.

"No, it's my fault," she said. "I should have known that." She ignored Actor and looked at Garrison. "Is there anything else I'm not doing that I'm supposed to be doing?"

"We don't know yet," said Garrison with a sigh. "You say more is coming back to you. I wish we could give you more time, but I don't think the Army is going to stand for that. It's hard enough with any of us. You're different."

"Yeah," said Terry, "You'd look funny in a dress." She frowned. "You do look funny in a dress."

Actor barely managed to keep a straight face.

"Terry," said Craig in disgust, covering embarrassment, "Out!"

The girl flicked a two fingered sloppy salute at him, turned and left the room, shutting the door behind her again. There was a moment of silence behind her.

"I have only seen her salute Major Richards one time," mused the con man. "I will have to assume that was sarcasm."

"I think you're right," agreed Garrison. "She's expecting too much of herself and she's mad because she can't do it."

Actor took a deep inhalation of his pipe to keep it from going out. "Just like someone else in the family," he muttered.

Garrison had to listen hard to register the words the Italian quietly spoke. He gave a snort. "Are you done with that report yet?"

"Another minute or two," said Actor, turning back to the paper he was writing on. His head was bent to hide the smile on his face.

Terry ignored the men in the common room and headed for the kitchen.

"Hey, Babe, you gonna cook tonight?"

All Casino got in response were two hands raised palms up. It could have meant anything from don't I always to I'll see.

"She ain't happy," remarked the cracksman.

Goniff looked up at him. "You weren't no bundle of joy yourself there when you 'ad your last concussion."

"Cut her some slack," said Chief. "At least she's trying."

After supper which she had saved from the sometimes-inept cooking by Sgt./Major Rawlins, Terry went into Garrison's office and shut the door again. She turned a table chair around and straddled it facing her brother. Her face was a show of puzzlement and frustration.

"Dang it Craig, how much longer is this going to go on?" she asked.

"What?" There could be any number of things bothering her.

"This not knowing Actor, and yet knowing him. We're at a party. I go to get him the expected plate of food and suddenly I know what he likes and what he doesn't care much for. I could do without the foie gras. That stuff is nasty."

"I don't have an answer to that, Sis."

And Craig really didn't. Actor's memory of her had returned much sooner than hers was doing. Maybe it was the enforced confinement together that had moved it along. And for whatever reason, the con man seemed uninclined to help her move it along at a quick pace. Had something happened between them that Terry's mind was blocking off and Actor didn't want her to remember?

"Are you afraid of him?" probed Craig tentatively.

Terry's eyebrows rose at that. She thought about it. "No. I'm comfortable around him. But he seems kind of distant. Were we that close?"

Garrison knew he had to be careful here. "What's your definition of close?"

Terry shook her head. "It just seems like we should be easier around each other."

Craig decided to take a chance. "Do you remember Jaeger?"

Terry face closed. "Yes," she said stonily.

"Do you remember Actor saving you?"

Terry shook her head again. "I remember Jaeger up to when the door slammed open. Nothing after that."

"Actor pulled him off of you and killed him," Craig watched his sister's myriad of facial reactions to what he was saying. "You were afraid of Actor for a long time. From what Chief said, Actor was enraged at what Jaeger was attempting to do to you." Rape was not a word Craig wanted to use. "You seemed to think he was angry with you. He wasn't and you two straightened it out eventually."

Terry frowned. "I don't remember."

"I really don't know what to tell you, Sis," said Craig, and he truly did not know what to tell her.

With a sigh and a shrug, the girl stood up, put the chair back at the table and went out to the common room.

GGG

The next day, Actor began a different set of lessons with the young woman. Wanting to see what was remembered and what he would have to start over teaching her, he took two books from the Mansion's library and, thumbing through them, bookmarked certain pages. Satisfied, he stepped back into the common room. The girl was sitting at the game table, snapping beans from the garden, presumably for their supper tonight.

"Teresa," broached the confidence man, "could I interrupt you for a minute or two? I wish to show you something in the library."

Without much enthusiasm, Terry wiped her hands on a towel beside the bowl of beans and got up to follow him into the library. Actor motioned her to have a seat at the table. He brought the first book over to her along with a thin book. Opening to the first marker, he covered the identifying cut line beneath the picture of a painting. He lay the book in front of Terry.

"Can you name the artist of this work?" Actor asked.

Of course," said Terry. "That's a Caravaggio."

"Very good," said the con man.

He went through almost a dozen different photos of paintings. She was able to readily identify the famous artist of each painting. The last one brought a smile finally.

"Botticelli," she said with a wider smile. "Birth of Venus."

Actor nodded in satisfaction. At least she knew the famous artists. Later, he would try her on the less famous painters and sculptors. Reaching around her to close the book, he leaned nearer to her and kissed her cheek. That drew a of look of confusion from the girl.

"What was that for?" asked Terry.

"Practice."

Her eyebrows rose. "You don't need practice."

Actor shook his head. "Not for me, for you. You need to get used to and be comfortable with me doing that."

"Oh," said the girl.

She got up and went back to the common room. No, this was not going to be easy, thought Actor. She wasn't running from him like before, but she wasn't responding either.

A half hour later, Terry finished the beans. She stood up and glanced at Actor. He was sitting in his chair, book in one hand, pipe in the other. She ambled over to his chair, bent down and kissed his cheek.

Actor looked up out of the tops of his eyes with question.

"Practice," she said.

The kiss was more of a sisterly kiss than that of a lover. It would require more 'work' on his part apparently. And he wasn't the only one to notice that. The three other men were watching.

Casino got up from the table and blocked Terry as she was on the way back to get the beans. He stood, hands on hips, and shook his head.

"Gotta put more into it than that," he instructed.

"Really?" asked Terry eying him.

Casino nodded. "You're supposed to be his girlfriend or something. You need to show it. Like this."

He slid an arm around her, pulled her in closer and gave her a long kiss on the mouth. She pulled back but did not evade his arm around her. She did look back toward Actor.

"I kiss them too?" she asked.

"Oh, you kiss all of us, now don't you," said Goniff cheerfully. "Except maybe Chiefy. He isn't the kissing type."

The Indian turned his head to look at the back of Goniff's head with disgust before turning back to the view out of the window.

Terry looked back up at Casino's grinning face that seemed to dare her. She shrugged her eyebrows and stood on tiptoes to get a better angle. To the man's delighted surprise, she went in for a return kiss. And it was a good one.

"Better?" she asked.

"Just fine, Babe," grinned Casino, knowing Actor wasn't pleased. "Any time you want to practice, feel free."

Terry gave a chuckle. "He's the confidence man," she gestured with her head back towards the Italian. "Not you. I'm supposed to work with him."

"Yeah, well, he doesn't seem to be doing a good job uh teachin' you," said Casino smugly.

Terry backed away and flicked his stomach with the backs of her fingers. Shaking her head, she moved around him, got the bowl of beans and towel and walked toward the kitchen.

Casino looked at Actor, but the Italian already had his nose back into his book, seemingly unconcerned.

After lunch, the Sgt./Major called the men together. "It's time for a little target practice, Lads."

"Aw, come on," objected Casino. "We know how to shoot."

"Yes, but there's always room to improve," said the English non-com cheerfully. "Practice makes perfect."

Reluctantly, the men got up and headed for the door, except Actor. He made a quick run up the stairs and went to his room. In the top drawer of his desk, he retrieved the little Walther PPK, checked its clip, which was full, and strode back down the hall, depositing the handgun into his big jacket pocket. He stopped at Terry's open door. The girl was reclined on the bed reading a book.

"Come, Teresa," said the con man. "Target practice, and you haven't fired a gun in weeks. It would be good for you to practice with us."

Terry did not reply, but she did lay the book, open faced on the bed. Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she shoved her feet into the boots on the rug beside her. She allowed the tall man to escort her down the stairs and out the front door.

At the bottom of the steps, Actor took the little gun out of his pocket and handed it to her. Terry looked it over, automatically ejected and checked the clip and snapped it back in place.

"It's yours," said Actor.

"Yes, I know. Took it off a dead officer." She looked up at him. "Took your time giving it back to me. Afraid I might shoot you?"

"Not at all," replied the man. "I merely forgot to return it to you." He didn't forget anything. He just wanted to be sure the girl had enough brain cells working before he trusted her with a firearm. Not that he would tell her that.

Four stands were set up in the car park and a line of paper silhouette targets hung from easels close to the stone wall. Sgt./Major Rawlins looked at the girl.

"I'm sorry, Miss," he apologized. "I didn't know you were going to come too."

"That's all right, Sgt./Major," smiled Terry. "I didn't know I was going to be coming either."

The men lined up and emptied their clips into their targets. The spread wasn't too wide on any of the targets. The men were improving over time.

Actor stepped back and motioned Terry to take her turn. She walked up to the stand and eyed the target. The heart had a nice compact hole in it. She raised the gun and emptied the clip into the forehead of the silhouette.

"Miss?" questioned Rawlins, dubiously. "We were shooting hearts."

Terry smiled politely. "He already shot it. I thought I would go a little higher."

"Can you do that with a nine mil?" The question came from the top of the steps. Garrison moved partway down the steps.

Terry laid the Walther on the stand, turned and took the bigger, heavy semiautomatic from Actor. She ejected the spent clip and slapped a full one from the stand into it, snapping the slide back to load the first round. Raising her arm, she fired almost all of the rounds into the forehead, tearing the paper apart. Deliberately, she dropped the gun a bit and fired the last round midline just below where the torso ended.

"A bit low, don't you think?" asked Garrison dryly.

"I guess that depends on the situation," shot back the girl.

She ejected the clip and laid the gun and the empty clip beside her gun on the stand.

Rawlins head swiveled back and forth between the girl and the target. "Yes, well, I'll just put some fresh targets up."

10


	2. Chapter 2

**Recovery**

 **Chapter 2**

Days went by, more lessons on cards and arts and music, and missions. For some reason, perhaps Lt. Garrison's little conversation with Major Richards, the missions did not involve Terry. Still pushing herself, she went back to tending bar at the Blue Fox in Brandonshire. Actor reported to Garrison that as a confidence woman, she was pretty much back to normal. He did not report she still had no real memory of him.

The men had returned from a mission that had not gone well, but no one had been injured. Terry was back into her old routine and their beds were opened and waiting for them when they arrived back at the Mansion. Exhausted, the men had fallen into their beds. When they arose, the girl was in Brandonshire tending bar.

Casino dealt himself another game of solitaire. He didn't know what time it was, but he couldn't sleep. Moving a dog-eared red queen onto an equally dog-eared black king, he looked up sharply as the door opened and closed quickly. Terry stopped and looked at him.

"I don't know why I didn't hear you drive in," said Casino by way of apology, "or I'd'a turned the light off."

"It's all right," said the girl shrugging out of her jacket and hanging it on the coat tree. "The light from Actor's chair doesn't show that much and I was quick."

She ambled over and looked at his game, reaching a hand down and moving a nine onto a ten. Casino slapped her fingers lightly. She rested her hand on his shoulder and watched him place an eight on the nine.

"What are you doing up?" Terry asked. "I would have thought you would be dead to the world."

Casino shook his head. "Can't sleep."

"That bad of a mission?" the girl asked with concern in her voice.

"Wasn't good, Babe. But none of 'em seem to be lately."

"Seeing as it's just you and me, take your shirt off and I'll work your back. Maybe it will help you sleep."

He had wondered if she had forgotten she was supposed to work on the scar tissue on his back every couple of days. It had been weeks since she had done it last. Pushing the chair back, the safecracker stood and pulled his shirt out of his pants, removing it and the singlet. They were tossed on the table, cards forgotten now. Casino swung the chair around and straddled it, resting his forehead on his crossed arms atop the back of the chair.

The girl's hands tentatively slid up his neck and back down onto his shoulders before moving over the white ridges on his back. As she started the kneading and rubbing, he could have groaned at the relief he always got from her back rubs.

"You're tight," said the girl softly. "I'm sorry. I should have been doing this all along. Charlie, why didn't you tell me?"

"Figured you got enough on your plate," replied the man, relaxing under her ministrations. "I didn't want to bother you."

He could hear the smile in her voice. "Doesn't stop you from bothering me with anything else."

"Yeah, well . . ."

"So, tell me what happened."

"Nuthin' unusual really. We almost got caught is all. Warden and Actor talked our way out."

"Something extra Craig had you guys into?"

Casino rocked his head. "Naw. Wasn't the Warden this time. Bad intel."

He could have melted. Not only did the scars loosen up, but his muscles relaxed. Girl had good hands. Getting this kind of attention from her almost made the torture he had endured worth it, almost, okay not quite. But he'd be happy to have her do this every night. No matter that she worked on his back, shoulders and neck for quite a while, it was still too soon when she stopped. He could have gone to sleep while she worked on him.

Reluctantly, he stood up and put the singlet back on, but just slipped his arms through the sleeves of his shirt. Terry headed for the stairs and he went over to turn the light off beside Actor's chair. When he made his way to the stairs, the girl was waiting there for him.

"Better?" she asked in whisper.

"Yeah. Thanks, Baby." He put a hand out on her arm to stop her from going up the stairs. "Practice?" he suggested.

She hesitated and then smiled. "Sure, just one."

He pulled her close and kissed her. She not only did not resist, she slipped her arms around him and returned the kiss. When it ended, they remained almost nose to nose.

"Am I getting better?" Terry asked.

"Not bad," replied Casino, "but I think you need a little more practice."

What he got was her finger jabbed into his ribs, making him jump back. The white-toothed grin he received with it told him she was just teasing him. Arm in arm, they went up the stairs.

Pausing at her door, the safecracker leaned nearer to whisper in her ear, "Sleep good."

"You too," she whispered back.

Terry went into her room and Casino walked down the hall to his.

GGGGG

The headaches became less frequent and not as severe. Occasionally the girl went on missions with Garrison and his men. Until her memory returned completely or it was decided she would recover no more of it, she would remain with Garrison's group.

As much as Major Richards and Lt. Johnson would have liked her back working with that group too, it was felt to be less confusing for Terry to go in with the original team. The girl seemed to have no objections and neither did Lt. Garrison. However, even this was not a guarantee things would go right.

GGGGG

The private concert in the manor house outside Paris that made the Mansion look like a slum, reached an intermission. The SS Major and his 'friend' stood and followed the rest of the audience back into the ballroom for refreshments. The major they were trying to get information from excused himself and went in search of the men's room, leaving Actor and Terry together, but alone. Some faint shift in the cadence of the conversation in the room, made both of them look up but in opposite directions. What Terry saw made her swallow hard. A quick glance at Chief in his usual place by a large potted plant showed him staring at the back of an officer who had just arrived. Terry and Chief exchanged looks of concern. The expression on the girl's face closed down to a faint smile. She averted her head and looked up at Actor from the tops of her eyes. Naturally, he was eyeing a well-endowed little blond.

"Actor," hissed Terry. The man's eyes shot back to her. "Hunch your shoulders and don't turn around."

"Teresa?" he asked, rolling his shoulders a smidgen forward to soften his normal straight stance.

"Remember that Field Marshal at the party last month?"

He gave a little nod.

"Well, he just walked in. And we are not using the same names."

Actor swore in his mind. They were outside of Paris, not Bonn. What was the man doing here? They had to get out. This mission was over.

"Perhaps a breath of fresh air?" suggested the con man to his partner.

He held his elbow out for Terry to take. She shot a glance at Chief as she placed her hand on Actor's arm. The younger man took a backward step into the hall and disappeared. Actor held the door to the balcony open and escorted the girl outside.

"Now what?" she asked. "We're on the wrong side of the house from the car."

Actor looked around. They were alone on the balcony. "Jump."

"Great."

Actor took another look around and threw a long leg over the railing. Bringing the other leg over, he dropped off to the ground. Terry had slipped her high heeled shoes off and dropped them to the Italian. He stuck one in each big pocket and raised his arms to try to catch her. Terry lifted her long, tight dress, giving the con man a brief look at more of her than he had seen in a while. She climbed over the railing and dropped down to be caught and steadied by Actor. Her shoes were handed back to her and as she slipped her feet back into them, he removed his jacket. The white formal shirt made a good target, but Terry's green dress would be recognized more readily than his expected uniform. The jacket was draped over her shoulders, covering the dress almost to her knees. At a leisurely pace, the couple strolled toward the front of the house.

Chief made his way to the door of the office he knew Garrison and Casino were in. The Indian made a show of hunting for a cigarette as a couple walked past. When they were out of hearing range, he scratched at the door, waiting a moment before slipping inside.

Garrison had his gun out. Casino was at the wall safe. The safecracker did not look away from what he was doing.

"Trouble, Warden," said Chief in a whisper. "That field marshal showed up. The one from Bonn. Actor and Terry bailed outside."

Casino pulled the door of the safe open. "Now what?" he asked the Lieutenant.

"We have to get out of here. Casino grab the stuff and let's go," instructed Garrison, mind spinning fast.

"I thought we were gonna just take pictures," said Casino, already stuffing papers and money inside his shirt.

"No time," said Garrison.

The cracksman shut the safe and quickly wiped it down with his handkerchief. Craig moved to the door, opening it a crack to look down the hall. The lights in the ballroom flickered and dimmed to inform the audience the concert was about to resume. Sticking his head out, Garrison saw there was no one in sight. Beckoning his two men, he led the way into the hall and toward the ballroom, which was between them and the front entrance.

Head held high with a small smile, the German officer, followed by his two men, walked past the ballroom and down the hall to the steps down to the atrium. The manor house was built into a slope so part of the floor was almost ground-level and the back was a full story higher. Garrison led the three of them straight out the front door and past the guards with a return salute that was as informal as some of the ones his second would flick.

Actor guided Terry around bushes toward the front of the building. The green grass of the manicured lawn silenced their footsteps. The confidence man knew there was no possibility of them making it to the car without running into guards. He was right. A patrolling soldier came around the corner of the house and stopped upon sight of the couple where no one should be. The guard pulled his rifle strap from his shoulder, not aiming at the couple, but had the ready.

"Pretend you're not feeling well," said Actor in a low voice.

"I don't have to pretend," murmured Terry.

He looked at her with concern.

The guard eyed the uniform of the tall man. The coat that was draped around the woman held the insignia of a major.

" _Was tun Sie?"_ he asked

"The woman is not feeling well," said Actor in condescending German. "I am taking her to our car."

" _Kann ich Ihnen, Herr Major helfen?"_ asked the soldier, not lowering his weapon.

" _Nein,"_ barked Actor. " _Machen Sie Weg!"_

The soldier lowered his rifle and stepped aside to stand at attention. Actor guided Teresa past the man and continued to where the car was parked. The soldier resumed his rounds.

Goniff jumped out of the car and opened the door for Actor and the girl. Garrison, Chief and Casino moved quickly to join them.

"Start the car," ordered Garrison, climbing into the back seat with Terry and Actor.

Goniff got behind the wheel, but Chief pushed him to the middle while Casino got in the passenger side.

"'Ey," objected the Cockney.

"Let Chief drive," said Garrison.

"Where to?" asked the Indian.

"Safe house if we aren't being followed."

Chief started the engine and pulled unhurriedly away.

Miffed, the slight man asked, "Wot 'appened?"

"Unexpected company," said Casino. "Man, Europe is gettin' too crowded."

"That was unexpected," agreed Actor. He looked at Teresa and asked "Are you all right?"

"Sure," she replied. "It's the same as jumping out of an airplane," she said with a grimace. "Hitting the ground jars my head, even if you did catch me."

"Hitting the ground?" asked Garrison. He was turned in the seat, watching out the back window for any signs of pursuit.

"We went over the balcony," explained the Italian.

"That must have been some sight," said Casino with a grin, knowing how tight Terry's dress was.

"Casino," said Actor in disgust. "You can be so uncouth."

"You were the one under her."

"Knock it off," snapped Garrison, noting his sister didn't even bother to object.

Actor refrained from mentioning the girl's dress had been hiked up to her waist. Nor did he mention he now knew she was wearing the silk undergarments he had bought her months before. Instead he looked at Garrison.

"Of all things the Field Marshal had to come to Paris for a concert? I wonder what else he was here for."

Garrison shook his head. "It may be in the papers we took or we may never know."

Actor reached in his pocket for a cigarette. "I take it you did not have time to photograph them?"

Garrison shook his head and turned back around to face forward. "No."

"So, you have the papers, which means they will be looking for us."

"What are we going to do?" asked Terry.

"Get our things from the safe house, change clothes, switch vehicles and make a run for the coast," replied Craig. He looked at his sister. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, it's not as bad as it has been."

They reached the safe house without incident. Terry changed into pants and blouse, removed the diamond pins from her hair and pulled it back, tying it and allowing it to flow down her back. With a handkerchief, she scrubbed the make-up off her face. The pins went into Actor's make-up kit and the dress was carefully folded and rolled before going into their duffle bag with the kit.

Chief uncovered the car he had hidden on their earlier arrival to the safe house and put the other one in its place.

Garrison and the other men changed into peasant clothing. Now they were people looking for work. The duffle bags were stowed in the trunk and the order of seating was changed. Garrison drove, with Actor in the front passenger seat and Terry wedged between them. The other three men were packed into the back seat.

Garrison left the safe house at a leisurely speed. He took the first road south even though they needed to go slightly northwest. It was going to be chancy no matter what they did. If they kept on in the middle of the night and were stopped it would be impossible to explain what French peasants were doing driving at night. If they hid somewhere until dawn, they were certain to run into more road blocks. Craig continued driving for another half hour and then pulled up a dirt track with high weeds.

The grasses and branches scraped along the sides of the car. Well, it would just make the vehicle look more like it belonged to peasants than the wealthy people Chief had 'borrowed' it from. When Garrison was satisfied they were far enough off the road, he carefully turned the car around to face the way they had come in.

"Why are we stopping?" asked Goniff.

"We're workers looking for jobs. We wouldn't be driving at night," explained Garrison, shutting the engine off.

"Isn't that gonna give the Jerries more time to set up road blocks?" asked Chief, not liking this.

"Yes," replied Actor. "But in daylight, we have a better chance of talking our way of trouble."

Not even waiting to be told, Chief got out and disappeared in the darkness back toward the main road to watch for trouble. Goniff slid over to lean against one door and Casino leaned against the inside of the other door. Terry tried to scoot forward into a comfortable position, leaned her head back and closed her eyes. The two leaders stayed awake and alert.

Dawn came and those in the car got out one at a time to stretch cramped muscles. Garrison started the engine and moved slowly forward. Chief stepped out next to the track about halfway back to the road. Craig stopped so he could get in the back.

"Anything?" asked Garrison.

"Nuthin'," replied the Indian.

They knew 'nuthin' wasn't going to last. It didn't. It was about five miles from the crossroad that Garrison had to take to head back north, when they came across the first roadblock.

Garrison stopped and rolled down his window. By now the men had the beginnings of whiskers and the girl had let her hair the rest of the way down and messed it up.

"Where have you come from?" asked a soldier in German.

Garrison shrugged his shoulders and acted as if he did not understand the question. " _Nous ne parlons pas d'allemand."_

This soldier spoke some French and repeated the question in that language.

"Chartres," replied Craig.

"Where are you going?"

"Rennes," replied Garrison.

"We were told there is work there." Actor leaned forward around the girl.

The soldier had his rifle ready as he looked at the six people crammed into the car. They tried to look more tired than afraid. Terry yawned. The soldier studied Chief.

"He does not look French," he said suspiciously.

Actor picked up the response. "He is my sister's son. His father is from Spain." Actor's head gestured toward the back seat. "Carlos is not very smart, but he can work. What do you expect from these Spaniards," said Actor with disgust.

Apparently satisfied, the soldier motioned for two guards to move the wooden barriers so the car could pass.

Garrison drove forward as though in no hurry to get anywhere. He kept at a steady, slow pace until he turned onto the road that would take them north. The road he chose was a narrow backroad to Cherbourg. Here he picked up a little speed, but not enough to draw undue attention to them if they came across anyone.

"Actor?" The drawl came from the backseat.

"Yes."

"I figure you were talking about me back there," said Chief. "What was that about?"

Actor shrugged. "He was concerned you did not appear to be French. I just said you are a cousin from Spain."

"All that for that?" asked the Indian suspiciously.

"Pretty much."

It was a good thing the occupants of the back seat could not see the smiles that were unsuccessfully stifled by the Garrison siblings in the front seat.

Another road block was encountered when they had to take a major road. Between Actor and Garrison, they were allowed through without any problem.

GGGGG

As it was, they did not get back to the Mansion until evening. None of them were hungry and Garrison decided the debriefing could wait until morning. He had called Major Schaeffer and briefly explained what had happened. The Major was not happy. He did agree to postpone the formal debrief with the Lieutenant until a decent hour in the morning.

About to follow the others upstairs to get some badly needed sleep, Garrison was stopped by an upset Sgt./Major.

"I'm sorry, Leftenant," said Rawlins. "Major Schaeffer insisted I had to meet with him about how things were going here at 0700 this morning. It made me miss the farm market and the bakery, Sir." He grimaced, "We're out of bread and a few other items."

Naturally, thought Craig. Nothing seemed to be going right. "That's all right, Sgt./Major. We'll deal with that in the morning." It was going to be a busy morning.

He climbed the stairs, stopped at his sister's bedroom and tapped lightly on the door. At her "come in," he let himself in and shut the door. The girl was in bed, but the bedside lamp was on.

"Sorry, Terry," apologized Craig. "There's a problem."

"Isn't there always?" she asked with mild disgust. "What now."

"The Sgt./Major had a meeting and missed the farm market and the bread line. I guess we're low on food again."

Terry gave a resigned sigh. "Okay. I'll take care of it tomorrow."

Garrison nodded and headed back toward the door.

"Hey, Craig," Terry stopped him. "When you debrief with the guys. I didn't hear anything again. We didn't have time."

Craig looked back at her. "Just take care of the food problem. You don't need to debrief."

"'Night," said the girl, turning off the lamp.

"'Night."

9


	3. Chapter 3

**Recovery**

 **Chapter 3**

Breakfast had been an unpleasant surprise. The scrambled eggs were overcooked. The coffee was ersatz. And there was no toast. The men had been warned ahead of time there was going to be a problem and it really wasn't the Sgt./Major's fault this time.

Though Casino had to grumble anyway, they all ate what little was in front of them. Once breakfast, which only slightly broke their fast, was finished, the men straggled into Garrison's office for a quick debrief before he had to go meet Maj. Schaeffer.

The men had taken their usual seats at the conference table and Garrison was gathering the papers from the safe, sans the money Casino had lifted, when Terry walked out of the kitchen, shopping list in hand.

"Okay, Gentlemen," said the girl loudly to get their attention. "I have to make a London run for groceries. I don't know how. I don't want to know how." She looked pointedly at Actor with an overdone smile. "But I know each and every one of you has a ration book and points." The smile disappeared. "If you want to eat, cough up the points. I'm don't have enough ready cash to cover all this."

"Would you like me to accompany you?" offered Actor. The cause justified the use of his money, yet again.

Terry silently held a forefinger up. "Sgt./Major!" she called out loudly.

Rawlins came out of the kitchen. "Yes, Miss?"

Terry beckoned him around in front of her and looked appraisingly at him. "Do you have a set of civilian clothes?"

"Not here, Miss." Rawlins looked at her with the same confusion as was on the other men's faces.

Terry frowned for a second. "No problem. Tell me, Sgt./Major, would you like to learn how to shop Black Market?"

"Pardon, Miss?" said Rawlins in astonishment.

"Aw, come on, Terry," scoffed Casino from his chair at the conference table. "He'd turn you in tuh the Brass."

Facing the girl, she was the only one who could see the Sgt./Major's changing expressions.

"I believe I would, Miss," Rawlins said boldly.

"He'll still turn yuh in."

"So? I already have a list from Major Richards and Col. Hammond." Terry gave a smug smile.

"You're joking," said Garrison in surprise.

"No," denied Terry. "It always pays to have bargaining chips." Her eyes pinned Actor's "Right?"

"Ah, you are learning well," grinned the con man.

The girl looked around the room. "Points, Gentlemen. Bring me points. And Goniff, bring him a set of civvies."

The men moved quickly to the stairs.

"Thank you, Miss," said Rawlins.

"Gil-bert," said Terry firmly. "For today, I am not 'Miss,' I'm Terry. And you're . . .," she laid on a Goniff-accent thickly, "me older cousin from Liverpool wot got wounded in the war."

Rawlins' thin lips stretched into a smile. "Well if I'm your cousin, then it's Gil not Gilbert . . . Terry."

A burst of laughter came out of the girl. "Right you are then, Mate."

Garrison took his seat at the head of the table. He gave his sister a puzzled look. It was amazing the things she found out that he didn't know.

"Ration books and points?" he asked in disbelief.

Terry nodded. "You'll have to ask Actor about that. He's the only one who could have pulled it off. I hear they are using them in place of money at the Dove's. Seems to be popular with the men there, though I don't know how they get around the names on them."

Garrison shook his head. "And how are you going to get around it?" he asked.

"Same address," said his sister. "I got my own a long time ago. I've used them in Brandonshire and London." She grinned. "By the way, how's the liquor supply?"

"A little more couldn't hurt," replied Garrison. He looked at his watch. There was not enough time for the debrief. "I have to go."

"You realize I need the Packard," said Terry. "You can take my car if you promise not to ding it up."

Rawlins almost choked on that one.

"No thanks," said Craig. "I don't want to be seen pulling up at G-2 with that thing and having to explain it to Schaeffer. I'll take the jeep."

He really did enjoy driving the sports car, and he had driven it to Allied Command that time without problems. Major Percy Schaeffer was a different matter. Garrison walked to the door but paused to look back as his men trooped down the stairs and filed past his sister, slapping ration books in her outstretched palm. Goniff handed a set of clothes to Gil-bert, and the skinny man hurried toward the kitchen and his room beyond to change.

"We'll debrief after I get back," Garrison told the men. With a shake of his head, he went outside and trotted down the steps.

GGG

Garrison made the turn up the drive to the Mansion. He was glad the meeting with Schaeffer was over. The information in the papers was the only thing that assuaged the British major's annoyance and insistence that Actor had somehow been the one to foul up the plan. Craig had noticed his sister wasn't mentioned. Terry had friends in high places. How high, even Garrison did not know. They were high enough that the Major was cautious in his handling of the girl.

The black Packard was gone. Craig figured it would be late afternoon before his sister and Rawlins returned. That was a strange thing too. The animosity between the two seemed to have been worked through. Maybe losing her memory had its advantages.

Garrison trotted up the steps and let himself into the house. The men were not in the common room, but he could hear voices in the kitchen. Well, it was noon. He shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on the coat tree in his office, tossed the briefcase on the decrepit couch, and hung his hat jauntily off the top of the pole.

The four men looked up at his entrance. Garrison pulled the chair at the near end of the table out and sat down.

"You want lunch, Warden?" asked Goniff cheerfully.

Casino began shoving dishes down to the officer. Chief got up and got another plate and a cup of ersatz coffee, putting them in front of Garrison. Craig looked at the offerings. No bread, but there was sliced cheese, fried Spam, large leaves of lettuce and the usual accoutrements. Goniff had to come up with the Spam. Now what?

"Take a piece of lettuce, spread your favorite accompaniment on it and fold it around a piece of wonderful Spam and cheese," said Actor. "Who knows, we may be starting a new cuisine," he smiled, obviously not believing it for a second.

Garrison followed the con man's directions and took a bite. It was still Spam and it still needed bread.

"There's no meat?" asked Craig.

"Yeah there is," said Casino. 'It's all frozen. Part of that last pig. Terry took chops out to thaw."

"She's not going to be 'appy," warned Goniff. "We pulled some baby carrots and some green beans from the garden."

Casino leaned back in his chair and lit a cigarette. "Speakin' of happy, how'd it go with Schaeffer?"

"He wasn't happy," confirmed Garrison. "He blamed us, as usual." The officer neglected to point out the Major had said it was Actor's fault.

Chief was also leaned back in his chair. "Man ain't gonna be happy unless we go on a mission and don't come back."

"Got that right, Mate," agreed Goniff.

Craig swallowed another bite of greasy meat, cheese and lettuce 'sandwich.' "Okay, forgetting the Field Marshal, how was going in?"

"Teresa should not be jumping out of airplanes yet," mentioned Actor. "Or balconies."

Garrison shook his head. "There isn't anything we can do about that any more than we could for you post-concussion."

"Gettin' in and out wasn't bad," said Chief.

"Safe was easy," added Casino. A grin crossed his face, "And profitable."

Actor glared at the cracksman. "Perhaps you should have given some of that profit to Teresa for food."

"Butt out, Actor," shot Casino back. "She wasn't taking any from you, she sure wouldn't take any offa me."

"Knock it off," said Garrison wearily.

GGG

It was just after four o'clock when the Sgt./Major and Terry returned with the Packard full of boxes and cloth bags. Terry came in first, carrying an old flour bag full of food. Casino, Goniff and Chief were in the common room. The men just looked at her.

"You want to eat this stuff, I suggest you help bring it in," said Terry. "There are more bags in the car." She headed back to the kitchen.

"You get booze?" hollered Casino after her.

"Of course!"

The safecracker got up, followed by the other two men. They had to hold the door open for Rawlins, carrying a box. They watched him walk past them, each thinking how odd it was to see the man in civilian clothes. Frankly, the sweater and pants looked better on Goniff than the even thinner Sgt./Major.

After the boxes and bags were bought up and the men went back to whatever activities they had been doing, Terry came out and peeked into the office.

"Where's Craig?" she asked.

"Upstairs," replied Chief.

The girl went upstairs to the open door of Garrison's bedroom. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, back to the door. It wasn't until she had stepped inside she saw Actor sitting in the chair on the far side.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized. She started to turn.

"Stay," ordered the con man.

"No, I'll come back later. It's nothing important."

Garrison said nothing, watching to see what came next. He thought Actor had been a little abrupt.

The con man stood and his hand shot out, palm down, fingers splayed, pointed at the girl. "Teresa, you stay. I have a book downstairs I find very interesting and wish to finish."

"Actor, you stay," objected the girl.

The Italian shook his head and walked past her out the door.

Terry watched after him with a frustrated expression. "Why does he do that? I don't want to interrupt you two."

"I don't know, Terry," replied her brother. "Maybe he is reading an interesting book."

Terry gave him a funny look. "He's reading one of your military protocol books."

Craig gave a chuckle. "No telling what Actor finds interesting." He motioned her to come around and take the chair the con man had just vacated. "So how did it go with the Sgt./Major?"

Terry grinned. "I think he's been hanging around us too long. He picked it right up. He was a little uncomfortable around Richards and Hammond, being out of uniform and all. I explained things to the officers and they were okay with it. Maybe we just need to broaden Gil's horizons a bit."

Craig laughed. His men and now his sister would take care of that. Terry stood up. "I have to go start pork chops. I just wanted to let you know we were back and everything went okay." She paused. "Actor didn't have to leave."

Garrison stopped her at the foot of the bed. "You still don't remember him?"

The girl's frustration was evident to him. "Yes, and no. I know a lot about him, but I don't remember working with him. And I don't know why."

"Quit pushing it," advised Craig. "It will come."

"I hope so," said the girl as she walked out the door.

Maybe Actor didn't want it to come. Why, Garrison did not know. What he did know was that asking the man point blank would yield nothing.

GGG

The missions continued; most of them without Terry. There were injuries, but nothing major. When they arrived back at the Mansion, the girl helped with the wounds like she had been doing. Except on Actor. She left him to Craig. Oh, she would bring supplies and help in that way, but she would not touch the man.

It had been over a month since Terry had returned from the hospital. There was still an uneasiness between her and Craig's second. Craig rarely got to see the two in action on a mission. Usually he was with Casino and a safe.

Trying to get anything out of Chief was almost as bad as trying to get anything personal out of the confidence man, but Garrison felt he had to try. He called Chief into his office after the last mission Terry was on.

The Indian cautiously took the seat across from the desk.

"I want your opinion," said Garrison.

That was unusual, even for the Warden, thought Chief. He waited silent and wary.

"How are Actor and Terry working together?"

"They're all right, I guess," answered the Indian. This was like rattin' on your cell mate. You just didn't do it.

Garrison recognized that. "It's all right, Chief. Nobody is in trouble." He noted Chief avoided his eyes. Nothing new there, but he had become a little more open with all of them from when he had first arrived at the Mansion. "You watch them. Are they as good as they were before Terry was injured?"

"They do all right," Chief replied, thinking about it.

"Just all right?" probed Garrison.

"I don't know, Warden," admitted the younger man. "There's somethin' missin'."

"Like what?" This was like carefully pulling teeth.

"Don't know," Chief thought about it.

Garrison sat back in his chair. "Anything from this mission they did differently?"

Chief shook his head. "Nuthin' different. It's just that spark is missin'." He searched for the right words. "When they go in as a team, it's like they turn into one person. They don't do that anymore. If that makes sense."

It did. It confirmed what he had been suspicioning for a while now. Now, what to do about it.

GGG

The what to do about it came a week later, after two missions; one without Terry and one unsuccessful. Garrison and Actor were in Garrison's room, having their private after-mission debrief. Garrison touched glasses with Actor and they took their opening sips. This was not going to be good. He half expected the Italian would get up and leave.

"We seem to have a problem?"

"And what is that, Warden?" asked Actor easily.

"Terry's upset."

Actor shrugged it off. "Terry is always upset. What about this time?"

"You."

Sure enough, the con man's face closed and the walls went up. "I can't see there is a problem. We are working fine together."

"No, you're not," denied Garrison. "That 'spark' between you is gone. She works with you the same as she worked with Carter when you were – not here. Do you two talk when you are not on a mission? Besides when you're teaching her."

"What would we talk about, Lieutenant?" scoffed Actor. "We are not of the same world. What do we have in common?"

"Didn't seem to stop you before. I don't think she trusts you. I don't want to lose her to Randy's group completely. I used to know you would watch out for her. Now I'm not so sure."

That was a slap in the face to the older man and he replied sharply. "I have always watched out for her and I will always watch out for her!"

"Then talk with her. Work with her," said Craig almost like an order.

The Italians mouth tightened. "And what is it I am supposed to say? I can't make her remember. You know that."

"Then start over. Do whatever you did to make her feel safer with you."

"I have no idea what that was, Lieutenant."

"Then figure it out. You're good at that. I don't want to lose either of you and I want the two of you working together like you used to."

Actor tossed the bourbon down in one gulp and slapped the glass on the desk. "Fine. I will talk to her. About what I don't know."

Now the confidence man got up and strode out of Garrison's room.

GGG

Actor strode into the kitchen. Terry was just drying her hands after washing the plates and bowls. Her head shot up at his sudden entrance. The towel landed on the floor when he took her elbow firmly and propelled her out the door. They hurried down the steps.

"Gazebo," was all he said.

She jerked her arm away from him. "I can get there under my own steam. I don't need you manhandling me."

Realizing that was exactly what he was doing, he slowed. She moved past him and stomped up the steps into the gazebo. He followed.

"I apologize . . ." he began.

"Oh, can it, Actor. What's the problem? You don't treat me like this."

Actor took a seat in the darkened room. "Do you remember that?" he asked quietly.

"I think so. Maybe I'm wrong. I don't know."

"We need to talk."

"Uhn uh," she said in a more normal tone. "You could have just said you wanted to talk. I'd have come with you. What – or who – set you off?"

"Lieutenant Garrison thinks you might not trust me and that I am trying to keep you from remembering me."

He waited for a response. The girl did not sit down but stood out of his reach.

"Should I? And are you?"

Oh, he was handling this all wrong, something he seemed to do frequently with her. "Trust me? Yes, you can and should. The other? Possibly." Maybe he was. He was conning himself. He knew he was backing away from her.

Terry moved over to sit on the bench beside him but not closely.

"Craig should mind his own business."

"We are his business."

They sat in silence for a minute. She spoke first.

"What is it you don't want me to remember? That I slept with you? I don't do that with just anybody and you're not the type to force yourself on someone."

His head jerked in her direction in umbrage. "I don't."

"Then what is it? Is it because I don't remember? Or are you afraid, well afraid's the wrong word with you, that I will be after you again and you don't want that?"

He wasn't sure what to say. He didn't know what he wanted and that was a very uncomfortable feeling.

"Let's get something straight, again. I don't sleep with just anybody. If I slept with you it was because we were close enough to do that. I also don't force myself on anybody either, so you're safe there."

"Safe?" snorted the confidence man. "In my profession I cannot afford to get close to anyone. It sets me up for blackmail or losing my objectivity."

"And we got too close."

One tweed covered shoulder hitched in a shrug. He just could not admit how close he had gotten to her.

Terry sighed. "I see your point. Would it be better for you if I moved to London and hooked up with Randy's group?"

"No!" He backpedaled. "That is what the Warden is afraid you will do. Or maybe that I will leave."

"Would you?"

"Probably not. After the war, yes. Now, no."

He knew he did not want to lose her. And he did not want to lose the comradery with the men and the friendship with Garrison. He was backed into a corner; not a place he wanted to be.

"So, what do we do?" asked the girl seriously.

He looked down at his hands clasped in his lap. "I don't know," he said softly. He had never allowed himself to be backed into a corner. Caught a few times yes, but placed in a situation he felt he could not get out of? The closest he had come to that was in the prison camp.

"No demands, Actor," said Terry wearily. "I don't want a friendship like that. And I think we must have been friends at one point."

Actor nodded. "We were, _cara_."

"So, we shoot for that again. How did we do it before?"

Actor chuckled grimly at that. "We simply fell into it."

"Fell, huh," she smiled. "Maybe just ease into it this time around?"

There it was again. There was that something about the woman that was like no other he had been with before. He had to chuckle again; this time with mirth.

"What was it we did before that is missing now?" asked the girl.

"We kissed a lot," he replied. "It was part of getting you comfortable enough with me to do it in public on a con."

"You any good at it?"

"I beg your pardon?" _Dio_ , that woman could come out with things.

"Show me," she dared him, head up and eyes narrowed.

Well, she did ask for it. He rose to his feet and took her hand, raising her to her feet. He cupped her face and leaned down to kiss her parted lips. Against his dubious better judgement, he lengthened and deepened it. She responded in kind. When he pulled back. She looked up at him.

"Yeah, you're good at it."

"Thank you," he said haughtily, not sure whether to be relieved or insulted.

"Any time. Now can I go finish the dishes. Unless you want to wipe."

"I think not," denied the aristocratic man. "I have . . ."

She interrupted him. "A book on military strategy that is sooo fascinating."

He watched the girl turn and walk out of the gazebo and back to the kitchen. The woman was so frustrating sometimes. Frustrating . . . and knowledgeable, capable, caring, and infuriating. And he missed her, even though she was there, but seemingly incapable of remembering him entirely. If it was a con, it was more of a con than Teresa was capable of, therefore it must be true. Actor lit and smoked a cigarette in the darkness to get himself back in control.

Five minutes later, Actor entered the kitchen. Dried dishes were stacked on the table. Teresa was cleaning the stovetop, a dishtowel over her right shoulder. She ignored him as he squeezed past her back. He smiled to himself that he had managed to skirt her in the tight quarters without touching her.

As he reached the swinging door to the dining room, he heard a snap and felt a sharp sting to his right buttock. Outraged, Actor spun around. The woman was watching him with a cocky smile, swinging the towel from her right hand.

" _Marmocchia_ ," he spat at her, turning on his heel and pushing out the door.

He missed the satisfied smile on Terry's face.

10


	4. Chapter 4

**Recovery**

 **Chapter 4**

Actor stalked back into the common room, a thunderous look on his face and entered Garrison's office without knocking. Craig looked up, surprised at the con man's countenance.

"That woman is impossible!"

"What did she do now?" asked Craig, not even wanting to have to do damage control.

Actor opened his mouth to speak and then realized how embarrassing it would sound. His lips clamped tightly shut. "Never mind." He turned and strode out of the office, resisting the urge to rub the still stinging part of his offended anatomy, choosing to sit on it in his chair instead.

Garrison leaned an elbow on his desk and rested his forehead in his hand. Why couldn't he have chosen to take that promotion in rank and be free of dealing with the sometimes-childish behaviors of his sister and his men? Well, at least with this group, life was never boring, and he would not give them up for the world.

GGG

Actor only had a one-day reprieve from what seemed to be the bane of his existence. He made no move on the girl and hoped she would do the same. Of course, she didn't.

He was in his usual spot in his chair, with pipe and a new book from the mansion's delightful library. Terry casually walked past him, but then turned and leaned over his left shoulder. He felt her breath on his ear. Actor turned his head to give her a narrow-eyed glare from flashing dark chocolate eyes.

"Easy," she whispered. "I'm supposed to kiss you, aren't I?"

The woman nuzzled his neck. He pulled away, not knowing just exactly what she was going to do. He felt soft lips kiss a spot behind and slightly below his ear. Unable to totally stifle a little shiver, he glared back at her. It figured. She knew where one of those "sweet spots" was she had been so eager to find on him when they had spent the night at his house in London, what seemed so long ago.

The girl was unaffected by the glare and simply gave a pleasant smile before leaving him and continuing down the short hall to the room they were using to store supplies.

GGGGG

Their couple days reprieve ended abruptly with a jangling telephone in the dark of night. Garrison rolled over and looked at his alarm clock. It was ten minutes to four. The ringing stopped to be followed by a loud "Leftenant Garrison!" Now what, wondered the officer, wide awake. He threw on a robe and went downstairs. Five minutes later, his running feet could be heard returning up the stairs.

Saying nothing to the men who had come bleary-eyed to their doors, he went in his room and opened the armoire doors. A pair of uniform dress pants and shirt landed on the bed. A quick shave in his bathroom and he dressed hurriedly. His hat and his Ike jacket were in his office. As he strode down the hall toward the stairs His sister came to her door, hair down, robe open to reveal her long cotton gown.

"Craig," she called out, "Where are you going?"

"Allied Command, London." Garrison paused at the top of the stairs. 'Whatever it is, it's big and probably bad."

Actor had reached the girl's room. "We will be ready," he assured Garrison.

They heard him bound down the steps to the office and then the bang of the front door.

"Terrific," grumbled Casino. "At this hour, this can't be good."

"Is it ever?" asked Goniff.

Chief was leaning against his door jamb. "What do we pack?"

"Have everything ready," replied Actor. "We can put what we are going to need in the kits when we find out where and what."

"Sgt./Major!," yelled Terry.

"Yes, Miss!"

"Coffee, real and strong! And a big breakfast." She looked at Actor for guidance and counted on her fingers. "It's four-thirty. Figure two hours there, a minimum of one hour in briefing, and another two hours back. That would make it nine-thirty at the earliest?"

The con man nodded. "Sgt./Major, breakfast at eight."

"Right you are," the non-com called back.

Actor turned his attention to the girl. "We do not know if you are coming with us."

Terry shook her head. "I'll be ready anyway. I can always put it away again." She looked up at him. "Pants, shirt, skirt and blouse, ball gown, boots, shoes and heels."

"Not the green gown. It's been seen too many times in the past couple weeks," he advised.

"Cream or black?"

"The cream one and the fox."

Terry turned and went back into her room. He returned to his room to begin putting things together. No use going back to bed. He was wide awake now. Instead of getting dressed and beginning the process of deciding what he would need to take, Actor sat on the edge of his bed and lit the first cigarette of the day. As he blew a haze of white smoke toward the ceiling, the sound of water rumbling through the old pipes told him someone had already hit the shower.

It was ten o'clock when Garrison returned. He immediately called for a briefing in his office. Terry got his plate of breakfast out of the warmer and set it in front of him.

"Eat while you talk," she suggested. "Am I going?"

Garrison nodded. "We have no idea what we need to do to accomplish this mission. We may or may not need you."

Terry took her place at the table between Actor on the end and Casino. Garrison took a bite of scrambled eggs and swallowed them almost whole.

"We're going to Limoges in France. We need to recover some Allied plans that got in the wrong hands. There is an offensive being planned. Seems a general in Lyon, thought he could do it better. He drew up his own plans and sent them with a courier who was supposed to take them to England. He was caught in Limoges. The Gestapo figured out they had a goldmine and notified Berlin. The SS is coming tomorrow to get the papers. Our bombers seem to be keeping Berlin a little busy." Craig smiled and ate some more from his plate.

"So how did this courier get tumbled?" asked Casino.

"We don't know."

Casino frowned. "If they aren't the right plans, who cares?"

Garrison took a sip of coffee. "He based them on the real plans. There's enough information there to kill a lot of troops. Command is scrambling to change some things, but with what the Germans have planned, they have to go through with the original plan only move it forward. That leaves us less than 24 hours to get the wrong plans or they have to scuttle the whole thing."

It was Actor's turn. "Can we get to Limoge before the real SS?"

"We don't know."

"Is there anything we do know?" asked Goniff sarcastically.

"Not really," admitted the Lieutenant.

Even Chief looked up dubiously at that. "This is going to be fun."

"Probably not," said Craig.

"So, when are we leaving?" asked Terry.

"Eleven-thirty," replied Garrison around a bite of toast.

"Tonight?" asked Goniff hopefully.

"No," said Garrison. "In an hour and a half from Archbury."

As usual, Casino went ballistic. "We're flying in? In broad daylight?"

"Fastest way in," replied Garrison.

"Fastest way to get killed, you mean!"

"Whose brilliant idea was it to send us like this?" asked Terry.

"Your uncle," said Craig pointedly.

"Sam?" the girl asked in disbelief.

"No, your other uncle."

Terry frowned and then her eyes widened. "The big uncle?"

"Yes," replied her brother with a warning look. "Your big uncle."

"Oh." She smiled. "Say hi when you debrief."

Craig gave her one of his looks.

An hour and a half later the Dakota with all six of them squashed in it with their bags, circled over the airfield and headed toward France. It was unusually quiet inside the plane. None of them liked this mission. Garrison hated going in without a plan and several backup plans. Goniff just didn't like it one bit. Casino felt like the Army was doing anything in their power to bump them off. And Chief had a bad feeling something was gonna go really bad. He just couldn't say what. Actor tried to think of a dozen different scenarios he could play, but not knowing what they were walking into made that next to impossible. Terry just sat in her seat and watched the scenery pass outside her window.

It was a zig-zag flight that almost doubled the time to get to the drop-off point. The pilot flew low, skirting known flak installations and fighter bases. At the final five minutes, the co-pilot called back they were coming in. Everyone was alert and ready. They touched down in an unplowed field, bumping and hopping to a stop. The door was opened by Actor, who with relief, found himself facing French civilians. Bags were tossed out and the group followed. They were ushered into the back of a waiting market truck and herded forward. Large boxes of vegetables that were really half empty were piled up at the tailgate to hide the people inside.

The men changed into peasant clothes. Terry spent the time digging into the duffle bags she shared with Actor, slowly removing the clothing she wanted and making room for the clothes she and the confidence man were changing out of. It kept her head down. All she would be able to see from that angle were Actor's shoes and socks. When it was Terry's turn to change, if she was uncomfortable changing in front of the men, they didn't know it. Goniff fiddled with his duffle bag. Chief gave an inordinate amount of attention to cleaning his blade. Actor, who had seen it all, and Casino, who had seen most of it, averted their eyes to give her the most privacy possible. Garrison, having grown up with the girl and the swimming hole they all swam together in without suits, could have cared less but his mind was so engrossed with devising scenarios he couldn't have told anyone what she was changing into.

The truck rumbled to a stop in an alley behind a shop. The boxes were off-loaded and the people came out, one at a time, to disappear into the storage room that was lit by a single bare light bulb dangling from the ceiling. A door in one wall led them into a cool, damp basement room that was just as dimly lit as the storeroom. Their resistance contact, George, followed them down. The man almost looked like a caricature of what a Frenchman should look like; short, thin, dark-haired with a pencil thin mustache. Casino lounged atop a wooden crate. Chief sat on his heels, back against a wall. Goniff perched on another crate. Garrison and Actor sat at the scarred wooden table with the resistance man. For whatever reason, the girl pulled out a chair and sat at the table with them.

"Do we know where the plans are?" asked Garrison.

"Qui, they are in Gestapo headquarters. In the safe of a Major Stein. It is not going to be easy," warned George.

"We wouldn't know what to do if it was easy," grumbled Casino.

Garrison's eyes narrowed in contemplation. "Do you have anything on the SS general who is coming to get the plans?"

"It is a General Wagner. We do not know what he looks like. He will be here early in the morning."

That meant they had to act now and be far away before the real general arrived. The plane they had arrived on could not come back for them. Another plane would meet them at Nantes. Garrison plotted it out in his mind as Actor watched him.

"George can you get us papers?" asked Craig. 'General Wagner," he pointed to Actor and then himself. "And Major Schmidt."

"I can have them within the hour," assured the resistance man.

Garrison turned back to Actor. "Did you bring that uniform?"

"Yes," replied the con man, "however it has the insignia of a major. I have the correct one, but I will have to change them out."

"I can do that," said Terry quietly.

Craig nodded. He looked at his other men. "Goniff, I need a uniform for a major and lesser ranks for the rest of you. Chief we need a large staff car."

Both men nodded and rose to follow George up the stairs. Garrison would have swapped out with Actor, but his uniform had been made to especially fit his taller frame.

Garrison was thinking. Actor could see the wheels rotating in the man's mind and smiled. The Italian had recognized from the first mission the Lieutenant had a keen and quick mind for a con.

"Okay, this is what we'll do," said Craig.

Terry got the duffle she shared with Actor and rummaged through, taking out the make-up box she knew had a small sewing kit in the bottom along with the other insignias. The wool uniform came next. Getting right to work, she carefully snipped the major's insignias off and began replacing them with the general's. The Wehrmacht pieces on the collar and the hat were replaced with the lightning bolts and death's head. She kept one ear on the plotting of the men.

"Actor will become General Wagner. I will be his major. Casino, you will come in with us. If we have to take out the officer in Gestapo headquarters, you might have to open the safe. Goniff will come in too as a guard. Chief will drive." Garrison was coming up with this as he went.

"I stay here?" asked Terry.

"No," Craig shook his head. "You'll have to come with us. We'll be making a dash for the rendezvous."

Terry's eyebrows rose and dropped. "Goniff better find me a uniform too."

"No." Actor picked up the thread of plan. "You will stay as you are dressed."

"What's a dame doin' with a general who's doin' something like this?" scoffed Casino.

Terry glanced at Actor. "I imagine what dames usually do with generals."

"No," said Actor, rolling with it. "She is the daughter of a Field Marshal in Berlin. We picked her up and will deliver her to her father."

"Daughter?" asked the girl dubiously.

"More believable," added Garrison. "A daughter is safer with the plans in tow than a 'girlfriend'."

"Well, that'll be a new one. First time to be a daughter." She gave Actor a dubious look as she handed him the hat and jacket.

Casino knew exactly what she was thinking. "Naw, Babe, he may be old and all, but you're too old to be his daughter."

"Nothing with him would surprise me," said Terry dryly. "He probably started when he was eight."

"Knock it off, both of you," said Garrison before his second could have an explosion.

GGGGG

The large black car pulled up to the curb in front of the gray stone building with a swastika flag draped from the roof. Casino was out of the front in an instant, opening the door while standing at attention. Garrison came out first, followed by Actor. Goniff got out behind the safecracker.

The guards flanking the entrance snapped to attention at the sight of the general and major. One opened the door for the four men. Actor went in first, with Garrison on his heels. Casino and Goniff followed.

The blond man behind the desk in the foyer rose to attention and snapped a stiff-armed Heil Hitler to the officers. Actor at his SS best with a stern no-nonsense expression, gave his usual half salute back.

"I wish to see Major Stein at once. I am General Wagner," said Actor.

"May I see your papers please, Herr General," asked the man.

Actor puffed up. "I am SS. You do not need to see my papers. You will take me to Major Stein, _sofort!"_

Papers forgotten, the hapless corporal began to stutter. "I -I'm sorry, Herr General. Major Stein just left for supper. He eats in a restaurant six blocks from here. He walks. He will be back in an hour."

Actor's glare would have wilted any flowers that were close by. "You will show us to his office and send someone to get the Major."

"But – but . . . "

"You dare question an SS general?" demanded Actor. "I will see you are shipped to the Eastern Front immediately."

The man's face lost all color. "No, no, Herr General. Right this way please." He motioned down the hall. Threat of the Russian border sent all thoughts of protocol from his mind and he led the men down the hall and partway down another hall to a room. He opened the door inward and backed out of the way. The four men went inside. Instead of leaving, the corporal asked if he could get them some refreshment while they waited. Actor's glare could now have peeled the paint from the walls.

Garrison took a step forward. "Are you an idiot?" he demanded. "General Wagner is here to see Major Stein. You will go get him now! You will get him yourself!"

" _Jawohl, Herr Major!"_ The man turned and fled.

Casino had already spotted the safe in the corner of the room and went to work on it. Garrison touched Goniff's arm and pointed for him to stand watch in the hall. Actor, fully in his role, tapped his foot impatiently. Craig started looking through the papers on the desk.

"Might as well see what else we can find," he said to Actor.

A couple pieces looked important and were set aside. A briefcase was under the desk. Those papers were put inside.

Chief and Terry waited just as impatiently in the car. A staff car tore out of the alley beside the building and sped down the street.

"That don't look good," remarked Chief.

"No."

Chief pulled the car up a little further, so they wouldn't be blocked if someone tried to park in front of them. He wanted a clear shot out. It was a good move. Not more than five minutes later, the staff car returned and made a fast U-turn to park at the curb behind their vehicle. Terry did not turn around but stared straight ahead. Chief watched in the rearview and side mirrors.

"That looks like a major," said the Indian.

"Oh, that's terrific," said the girl.

They barely turned their heads enough to see the major storm into the building, followed by whoever had been driving the staff car. Chief kept the engine of their car running.

The plans were tucked inside Garrison's shirt for safety. As a decoy if need be, the other papers were in the briefcase dangling from Craig's hand. The four of men headed for the outside door, hoping to be gone before the Major returned. The door opened and a short, blond, obviously annoyed Major halted in front of Actor.

"Major Stein," said Actor haughtily. "I am General Wagner. I am here for the Allied plans."

Stein frowned, and suspicion crossed his face.

"You are early," he said. "And you are not General Wagner. I know the General personally."

Before Stein could give a call for his guards, Garrison leapt forward and grabbed him, snapping his neck. As he dropped to the floor, the corporal pulled a gun. Goniff, being the closest, shot him. The gunfire prompted the two outside guards to open the door and start inside.

"Help them!" ordered Garrison in German, pointing to the downed men. "They went back that way."

Goniff skirted around and held the outer door open. Actor pushed through the two guards with Garrison and Casino behind him. They made it out the door, but not far enough. Casino was in the rear.

" _Halt! Hande hoch!"_

Casino whirled around, gun in hand and fired at the guard in the doorway. He downed him, but not before taking a bullet. The safecracker turned and started to run to the waiting car. Garrison shot the other guard who came through the doorway, and grabbed Casino, hurrying him to the car.

Terry scooted over to the middle of the seat, reaching to open the other door. Chief leaned over and opened the front passenger door. Garrison shoved Casino in the back beside Terry. She tried to move back to the far side, but Actor was already getting in that door, leaving her stuck in the middle. Goniff dove into the middle of the front seat, with Garrison right behind him. The Lieutenant had just raised his right foot off the pavement when the car took off with a squeal of spinning tires. He tucked his foot inside and slammed the door shut.

8


	5. Chapter 5

**Recovery**

 **Chapter 5**

There was not enough room in the back for the girl to trade seats with their Italian medical person. Casino leaned forward with a grimace and allowed Terry to help him slip the jacket from his shoulder partway down his upper arm. She eased fingers behind the bloodstained shirt, feeling for an exit wound.

Casino shook his head and leaned back against the seat. "Trust me, the bullet's still in there."

That said, the girl unbuttoned the shirt and peeled it away from the wound. "Craig, aid kit." Sitting partially sideways, she lost her balance as Chief took a corner a tad too fast. Actor's hand steadied her, and Casino grabbed her left arm with his right hand. The aid kit came over the back of the front seat and Actor took it, opening it up and holding it within the girl's reach.

Terry took gauze and cleaned around the bleeding wound. Taking a packet of sulfa powder in her teeth, she ripped the top off and liberally sprinkled as much into the wound as she could. A wad of gauze was placed over the hole and she ripped tape with her teeth now to apply pressure to the dressing. It was hard to do anything with both hands as she needed one to steady herself with the wild ride Chief was taking them on.

"We being followed?" she asked.

"Not yet," replied Craig. "Just a matter of how soon."

The girl finished the dressing and straightened the jacket and shirt. Casino watched her fingers button the shirt. The fingers lightly tapped the other side of his chest.

"Morphine?" she asked.

"Naw," replied Casino. "I'll live."

"Okay," said Terry. "You change your mind, tell me."

Actor closed the aid kit and handed it back to Garrison. The two men exchanged looks. As usual, the Lieutenant was blaming himself for one of his men getting shot.

"No," the Italian said reading his mind.

"Yes, it is," replied Garrison.

"Here he goes again," lamented Casino. "It ain't your fault,Warden," he said firmly.

"I'm in charge," said Craig, watching the side mirror for German vehicles.

Casino leaned his head back against the top of the seat. "Have any of us ever blamed you when one of us got nailed?"

"No." Chief answered for the officer.

"Have you ever blamed us when you got nailed?"

"No," answered Chief again. "Well, maybe."

Goniff, sitting between the Indian and Garrison had to smile at that. Garrison pointedly ignored them all.

"So just give it up, Warden," ordered the safecracker.

"He won't," added Actor.

"Hang on," warned Chief as he turned hard onto a wider road. "How far?"

"Five miles, then right," answered Garrison.

It was five miles of a more well-traveled road. It was more likely they would be spotted or stopped on this one. They caught up with more cars and Chief had to adjust his speed to keep in the middle of them. After a few more minutes, Chief spotted the end of a car stopped atop a hill. The line he was in slowed.

"Roadblock?" he asked Garrison.

"Probably."

Craig had been studying the map. "There's another road to the right just ahead. Take it."

This time Chief cut a hard right onto a farm road that was lined heavily with trees. He and Garrison watched for a tail.

"Now what?" asked the Indian.

"There's a road to the left a little farther. That will take us to the road we want." Garrison watched the side mirror.

"'Ow much longer to the plane?" asked Goniff.

"Another hour, if we're lucky."

None of them entertained the thought they would be that lucky. It was a miracle they had made it this far without being stopped.

The road they were on was becoming narrower as the trees made a tunnel and the undergrowth thickened. The large car took up the entire width of the road by the time they reached the crossroad. Chief turned at a slower speed. This road wasn't any wider than the one they had come off of. Still there was no sign of a tail.

Another mile and they reached the road Garrison had been looking for. Compared to the last two, this was a boulevard. A boulevard with no traffic. The officer and Chief knew they needed to ditch the car they were in, but there was no place to find another one.

Chief pushed harder on the accelerator. They alternately sped up and slowed as they reached an area of almost blind curves through more woods. The light was dimming as evening grew near. Chief would have to slow down soon. As it was their luck ran out.

"Roadblock!" said Chief, just as Garrison spotted it. "Run it?"

"No," said Garrison. He looked over the back of the seat. "Actor?"

The confidence man nodded.

The car pulled to a stop as a soldier with a rifle stepped into the road. Actor rolled down his window and waited for the corporal to approach. Terry shifted so she was on an angle, her back hopefully shielding Casino's bloody shoulder from the soldier's sight. The man approached cautiously and peered quickly at the occupants of the car.

"We are in a hurry," said Actor sternly. "Let us pass."

"Leutnant Spiegel wishes to speak with you."

"Then tell him to come here. We are in a hurry."

"He wishes to speak with you over there," the soldier indicated where the officer was standing.

It was more dangerous if one of them left the car, but there did not seem to be a choice. Actor opened the door and got out, slamming the door closed as a sign of irritation. He stomped toward the lesser officer. The soldier remained by the car.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded an irate General.

The occupants of the car watched with concern. Even the soldier, who was now standing at Chief's open window, was darting eyes between the car and the General. They could no longer hear what was being said between the two officers. In the midst of a brief spat, Actor's posture straightened even more as the Leutnant pulled a gun and pointed it at him.

Chief made a grab out the window and twisted the rifle out of the soldier's trigger hand, at the same time shoving the switchblade between the man's ribs with his right hand. He pulled the gun in and the man slumped dead to the ground.

"They made him," said Garrison, raising his gun from its place on his lap under his hat.

The five people in the car stared in apprehension.

"Warden?" asked Goniff from the middle of the front seat.

"He's in the way," said Garrison with anxiety. "I can't get a shot." He started to get out of the car.

"No, Craig! You've got the intel!" Reacting, not thinking, Terry threw the back door open and leapt out.

Casino lunged to grab her but came up with a handful of empty air and pain in his shoulder wound. He straightened despite the pain and leaned over back of the front seat, trying to see between Goniff and Garrison.

"Shit!" swore Chief quietly.

Garrison reached for the door handle on his side, but stopped and watched in horror, sure both his second and his sister were about to be shot.

Terry screeched like a shrew in German, storming up to the two men. Actor's attention stayed on the Leutnant with the gun, watching for an opening. Terry never slowed. She stomped up beside Actor and a step beyond.

"Warden!" This time it was Casino in the backseat.

"Now she's in the way."

Terry put her left arm out and shoved the heel of her hand into the German officer's chest. The gun swung toward her. Actor leapt forward, grabbing for the man's wrist. The gun fired, not stopping the momentum of the girl. Nobody saw the knife drop to her hand, open, and bury up to the hilt into the man's chest. Actor twisted the gun out of his hand and shot the leutnant with his own weapon.

Garrison leapt out of the car and began firing the schmeisser that had been resting beside his knee at the soldiers who no came running. Chief was shooting with his pistol. Casino opened his door and pulled himself out of the car. Goniff, stuck where he was, handed the rifle over the seat to the safecracker. Casino rested the gun in his left palm on the top of the car, standing at a twisted angle and began firing; cocking and shooting with his good hand.

Before the Leutnant's body hit the ground, Actor grabbed the girl, fully aware of the growing red stain on her left side and twisted her around with his arm behind her to drag her, stumbling, toward the car. Chief stopped firing, the other two men jumped back in the car, and the car jerked forward, back door still open.

Actor shoved Teresa into the back seat and threw himself inside beside her. The car sped forward, even though there was nobody left to follow them. The Italian handed the Luger to Casino, who grabbed it, all the time trying to see the wound on the girl. Actor grabbed handfuls of her blouse and ripped it open, A bloody hand reached up for the aid kit that was slapped in his palm by Garrison.

"Hey!" objected Terry through clenched jaws, angrily and in pain. "You're just going to rip my clothes off? We aren't alone you know."

" _Stai zitti_!" spat Actor in his native tongue. He followed in Italian, "What the hell did you think you were doing?"

" _Non lo so!_ " hissed Teresa in the same language. "I should have let him kill you!"

"How bad?" demanded Garrison in English.

Actor tore open the kit which was pretty much empty and grabbed a couple remaining clean gauze pads to clean the wound and pushed the girl's shoulder around toward Casino to see the exit wound. Relief almost flowed through him. He had taken care of worse injuries on her. "Doesn't look like it hit anything vital."

"What was going through your head?" demanded Garrison. "Were you out of your mind?"

"It's full of holes yet," answered Casino in disgust based on fear.

Actor wiped the skin clean around the exit wound. There was very little powder left in the sulfa packet and only one gauze pad left. He carefully rested the packet inside the kit and ripped strips of tape off, sticking one end of each to the back of the car seat in front of him.

" _Perchè_?" repeated Actor in Italian.

"To give you a chance," replied Terry stubbornly in Italian.

"We could have both been killed!" the con man shot back in the same language. "That was stupid."

" _Certo! Stupido uomo italiano!_ "

Terry knew she was resting heavily on Casino's wounded shoulder. "I'm sorry, Casino," she said contritely.

"It's all right, Babe," he said beside her ear.

Terry looked up into the brown eyes below the stubborn curl of dark hair that hung down on his forehead. In that instant, she realized she was in trouble. He cared for her. And she discovered she cared for him too. Maybe it wasn't as much as she felt for Actor, but there was something there.

There was a sharp stab of pain as Actor tried to separate the edges of the wound with the fingers of one hand to tap what little sulfa powder was left in the envelope into the bloody hole. Terry's attention snapped to the con man.

" _Mi dispiace,"_ apologized Actor.

" _Va bene,"_ Terry replied quietly in reassurance.

She could see his face and the frown. Somewhere along the line of becoming close to the Garrisons and the men, a gentleness and concern had made its way past the self-centered façade. She knew there was more to come out. Just as she now knew him; remembered him.

"Warden, there isn't enough sulfa or bandages," said Actor in frustration.

"You shouldn't have used it all on me, Babe," said Casino.

She looked up at him. "Well, at the time, I wasn't planning on this."

Garrison presented his still clean handkerchief over the back of the seat. Goniff wiggled around and produced his. Actor used the two as bandages on the back wound and taped them tightly in place. He eased the girl to her back, so he could reach the front wound. There was nothing left to treat that wound with. Shaking his head, he folded up his handkerchief and pressed it over the bloody hole, securing it with tape.

"You should not have done what you did, Teresa," admonished the Italian, still in his native language.

" _Basta,"_ said Terry. She switched to English, "You would have done it for me. You've done it more than once for Craig. We've all done it for each other. It goes with covering each other's backs." She made a sour face. "That move worked before. It sure didn't this time." She watched the fastidious con man's bloody hands pull the tattered remains of her shirt over her. "When you get done there, would you get me off Casino? I'm leaning on his shoulder."

The safecracker wasn't going to say anything, but her head on his wound hurt probably as bad as her side did.

"Give her some morphine," said Garrison.

"Too soon," said Actor. "I will give her some before we board the plane. It might last until we get back to Archbury. If she is lucky."

"She isn't dead," said Goniff from the front seat. "I'd say that's pretty bleedin' lucky."

Actor said nothing in response. Carefully, he got an arm around the girl and straightened her up against the seat back and off Casino.

"You can lean against me if you would be more comfortable," said Actor in low Italian.

"Thank you," replied Terry in the same language. "But we aren't to the plane yet. You may have to move fast. I'll be all right."

In the front seat, it finally struck Garrison his sister was speaking in Italian and had screamed at the Leutnant in German. Eyes still watching the empty road behind them for signs of a tail, Craig decided to try something.

"So why did you pull that stupid stunt?" he asked in German, earning a sharp look from Actor.

Terry's eyes were closed and her head back against the seat. She didn't open them but answered in English. "I didn't feel like breaking in another con man. Two of them is enough."

" _Due_?" Actor looked at her in confusion.

" _Due mio caro idioto!_ "

"What two?" Craig asked calmly still in German, waiting to see what her answer would be.

"Him and Carter," Terry shot back, biting back the pain at a bump in the road. "Who else?"

Actor stared at her. "Carter? You remember Carter? Have you been with Carter since your head?"

"No, I have not been with Carter, since my – head." She glared at him. "I haven't seen or spoken to him."

"But you remember Carter?" asked Craig.

Even Casino was staring at the girl.

"Yes," her voice was still tight. "You know Carter. Blond, taller than Goniff, shorter than this one." She backhanded Actor lightly in the stomach. "Works with Randy now. Kisses good too."

"I am so happy for you," snarled Actor in disgusted Italian.

Casino laughed. He did understand some Italian. More than he let on.

"Holes gone now?" asked Craig.

"Mostly," said Terry.

The rest of the ride was in silence. About fifteen minutes later, Chief turned up a track that would take them to the resistance and the field that would be used as a landing strip. It was dark by the time they reached it.

Garrison met with Antoine, the resistance leader, and quickly informed him of what had taken place at the roadblock. Unlikely as it sounded to Craig, it looked like the Germans at the roadblock had not had time to get a radio call to their headquarters before being eliminated by Garrison and the men.

They did not have to wait long until the sound of the plane engines could be heard in the distance. Chief leaned over the seat back and lit a match, shielding the flame with his hand so Actor could see the vein in Terry's elbow. He hit it and shot the entire thing into the vein.

The girl's eyes widened and her head lolled. "Actor!" she got out angrily before she slumped into unconsciousness.

The Italian felt her pulse. Satisfied it was steady, he dropped the styrette back into the aid kit.

"Man, she's gonna be mad at you when she wakes up,"

"Probably," agreed the confidence man. "Let us hope we are in England when that happens."

Chief and Actor pulled the limp woman out of the car and carried her between them to the plane that touched down and turned around for a quick take off. Garrison and Goniff retrieved the duffels and stowed them in the open area behind the last seat. Chief and Actor lifted the girl into the plane and arranged her on the back seat, propped against the window. They helped Casino in next and got him situated in the next seat forward. With a quick thanks and good bye, Garrison followed his men and went forward to act as co-pilot. He could see there wasn't one.

The pilot turned to him as he started the plane forward. "Hi Garrison. Want to ride shotgun?"

"Sure, Bradley" replied Garrison.

"Fine. But you're Army. Why not Army Air?"

"Long story. I have flown Dakotas before."

"Good." The pilot called back to the others, "Hang on, this is rough."

He wasn't joking.

8


	6. Chapter 6

**Recovery**

 **Chapter 6**

It was quieter, with less bustle than during the day time. The clock on the wall said 0411. Actor stood beside the gurney, hand on Teresa's arm. The second smaller jolt of morphine he had given her prior to landing would be wearing off soon. He looked behind at Casino in a wheelchair, flanked by Goniff and Chief. The safecracker was cradling his left arm in front of him. Despite the movement of getting in and out of the plane and the ambulance, there did not seem to be any fresh blood on the man's shirt, so the dressing was holding.

Crew-cut gray haired Doc Kaiser came down the hall, slipping a lab coat over dull green scrubs. He looked tired, but he was used to getting interruptions to his sleep at any time of the night. It was what he did. Seeing who was waiting for him, he shook his head. He looked at the dried blood on the man in the wheelchair before looking down at the fresh blood on the figure atop on the stretcher.

"Again?" he asked. With resignation he motioned the medics to take both of the injured to trauma rooms. "What this time? The man first."

"Bullet wound to the left shoulder. It's still in there. The wound has been treated with sulfa and gauze pressure dressing."

"And the girl? Can't you keep her out of trouble?" grumbled the crotchety doctor.

"It seems not," said Actor. "She was shot pretty much point blank with a Luger. The bullet passed through. There are no signs that anything vital was hit, but there seems to be a bleeder. We were out of sulfa. The last bit was put in the exit wound. Both wounds were left open and covered with clean cloth and pressure. She has had a dose and a half of morphine to get her from France to here."

The major gave a sigh. Nothing new here. "How long ago?"

"Six hours."

"I'll take her in first. Come on," said the Major following the stretcher. "Where's Garrison?"

"On his way to London."

Kaiser motioned to a nurse. "Get him some scrubs." He looked up at the taller man. "You up for assisting?"

"Of course," said the con man, arrogance covering his relief at being allowed to go to surgery with the girl.

GGG

That disinfectant smell got to her first. It almost gagged her. Between morphine, anesthesia and smelling chlorine bleach so many times it was enough to make her decide maybe hospital nursing was not for her anymore. Her mind was wandering. Not good. She tried to focus on her surroundings. Terry opened her eyes slowly. Her side hurt, but she had hurt worse. She sensed his presence before she turned her head and saw him. He was watching her silently. He wasn't wearing his usual clothes or a uniform. Scrubs? They almost fit him. His eyes were weary above almost a 24 hours' growth of whiskers that had not been shaved.

"Water?" she managed to croak out of a dry mouth and throat. Creature comforts came first.

"Just a sip," cautioned Actor.

He held the glass and the glass straw so she could suck some water up. She knew the routine and swirled the little bit of water around in her mouth before swallowing it. Actor set the glass back on the bedside table.

"The Lieutenant asked that I stay with you. If that's all right with you," said the con man.

"I'd like that," said Terry quietly. "You went into surgery with me." It was more of a question.

"Yes, _cara_. I wasn't sure if you were aware of that."

"Barely. I was glad you were there."

He decided to digest that later. "Do you need pain medicine?"

"No," denied the girl as adamantly as her weak voice would allow. "That was way too much morphine you gave me before we left France."

"It was going to be a bumpy takeoff and I did not know how smooth it would be flying. We did run into flak." Actor still had his countenance of indifference in place. "I was concerned you would have too much pain."

"How's Casino?" she asked.

Funny, she would ask after the safecracker, but then she was always concerned about the others before herself. If must be a Garrison trait.

"He is down the hall. They took him to surgery after you."

"Did you help with him too?" Terry asked.

"No," replied Actor. "The Warden wished for me to stay with you."

"Oh."

There was a touch of disappointment in the girl's voice. Actor frowned. Was it because staying was not his idea, or because he didn't go with Casino? He thought maybe it was the former. Why was it so difficult to keep up this con? He could manage a con for weeks without a problem. Not this one. Perhaps it was because he had been trying to con himself and succeeding fairly well . . . until he thought she was going to die.

"I will stay with you," he said, "unless you ask me to leave."

Terry looked up at his face. It was closed as she had expected, but there was a chunk out of the façade. This did not sound like the Actor of the past month. It sounded like the old Actor, the one she knew as Vittorio. Her hand slid slowly across the sheets and spanned the few inches between the mattress and his green-clad knee; the only part of him she could reach.

Actor looked down at the small hand. His bigger one moved to completely cover it. He studied her face and could tell she was fighting to stay awake, but the anesthesia was trying to put her back to sleep. It was winning.

"I don't want you to leave . . . Vittorio Borghese Man-ci-ni." Her voice trailed off at the end as she went back under.

She knew him! He didn't know how much, but the fact she remembered his full name said a lot. So much for conning either one of them. His hand remained covering hers, thumb absently rubbing the back of it.

GGG

Garrison did not return until close to four o'clock in the afternoon. He was wearing the civilian clothes from his bag he had changed into before the driver took him to London. His hair was combed, but he was as unshaven as Actor. Entering his sister's room, he eyed the scrubs the confidence man was wearing.

"He's been playing doctor," said the girl, who was propped up in the bed.

Craig didn't pursue it. He studied his sister. She looked brighter than she had in the back of the car. "How are you doing?"

"Fine," she smiled. "Can you pull rank and get me out of here?"

"Teresa," said Actor with amusement, "the last time I looked a lieutenant does not out rank a major."

"You up to a drive back to the Mansion?" asked Garrison dubiously.

Green eyes looked dolefully back at him, not matching the grit in her voice. "Get me out of here."

Actor decided to defuse the conversation. "What did the Brass have to say, Lieutenant?"

Craig sat on the end of the bed. "They are very happy. You know, medals and all that stuff which we'll never see." He had learned the system well. "They moved the assault up. It's going through. And we have a week of down time. After all, I have two injured team members." He smiled.

"Amazing how I count as a team member when he wants something," teased Terry.

"It got us a week off, didn't it?" said Actor. The con man frowned. "I still do not know how you do it," he grumbled.

"Do what?" asked Terry patiently. With the Italian it could be any number of things.

"This is the third time you have been shot in the same place, right on top of the previous scars."

Terry raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm only one ahead of you. When Shiv dug that bullet out of your shoulder a year ago, it was over the same scar as before."

"It's understandable," threw in Garrison, hiding his humor. "He's tall and you're annoying. You're both bound to get shot and in the same places."

Both froze and turned identical disbelieving stares at the Lieutenant. Craig gave them a wide grin.

"Say, Actor," said Craig with obviously fake innocence. "Do you always rip my sister's clothes off?"

Actor looked back at him with a pleasant expression. "No. I prefer to undress her slowly to savor the act of uncovering the delights beneath."

"Actor!" Terry screeched in a loud whisper. Her expression turned to puzzlement. "Do you?"

Both men's heads jerked around to stare at her.

"Obviously she is not completely recovered," said Actor drolly.

"So, do you?" asked Garrison eyeing the con man.

"Really, Lieutenant," replied Actor smoothly, "If I did, do you think I would admit it to you? I didn't survive the German so I could be shot by you."

Terry gave her brother a smile. "Does he always talk that funny?"

Actor stared at her with umbrage. Garrison laughed.

"She is all yours," said Actor to Craig. "I will find Major Kaiser." He got up and walked away.

Garrison chuckled silently. "Are you?" he asked his sister off-handedly.

"Are I what?" asked Terry quizzically.

"Sleeping with him."

"How would I know?"

Garrison shook his head. If she remembered Actor, she would undoubtedly remember sleeping with him.

Terry grimaced at him. "You need sleep."

"I'm going to check on Casino," said Craig. "Maybe we can get both of you back to the Mansion." Garrison eyed his sister. "So, I hear Actor helped with your surgery. That's why the scrub suit?"

"Yes, apparently he assisted Doc Kaiser," she replied.

"What about Casino? Did Actor help with him too?" wondered Craig.

"He says not." She added off-handedly, "Actor says you told him to stay with me."

"I did. You know I trust him with you."

Terry raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't sound like it."

"I meant from a medical standpoint." Craig shook his head "Don't go anywhere."

"Take your time," the girl shot back in disgust. "Actor and I will find a broom closet somewhere."

About that time, the said person appeared at the door. "A broom closet?"

Craig fielded the glare from his sister and laughed. "Is she sprung?"

"Yes, she and Casino both."

"I'll go check on Casino. And call the Mansion. We don't have a car here." Craig moved past the Italian.

Actor resumed his seat and waited a minute to make sure the Lieutenant was down the hall before saying, "Really, Teresa. I do not do broom closets."

"I know," replied the girl, innocently. "You prefer your own bed."

Actor chewed on a cheek. He still wasn't sure how much the girl really remembered so he did not attempt to ascertain which bed she was referring to; the one at the Mansion, his house, or her flat. Actually, the one at the Mansion was too short. He sat back on the chair, crossed he legs and clasp his hands in his lap.

Terry surveyed his garb. That institutional green did not go well with his coloring. "Are you planning on wearing that to the Mansion?"

"Yes," he replied. "Major Kaiser seems to be of the opinion we will be back here soon enough it won't be missed. And unfortunately, he is probably right. Besides, it seems Goniff and Chief took our bags with them, with our clothing. I put the uniform in the bag before going into surgery."

Terry thought of something. "Did they take mine too?"

"Yes, yours too. However, the skirt is still here. The blouse had to be discarded. It was stained badly and there were the bullet holes too."

"Not to mention you ripping the buttons off."

The confidence man did not respond to that. He was saved from any further comments by the girl. Garrison came back in, with Casino in tow.

The safecracker was wearing a patient gown with his pants on underneath, left arm in a white muslin sling tied behind his neck. He eased himself onto the other chair, leaving Garrison to sit on the foot of the bed again.

"You look better than you did," said Casino, studying the girl in the bed.

"Thank you," said Terry. "What are you doing? It's going to be at least twenty minutes before we can leave. Why aren't you resting?"

Casino made a face. "It feels better when it's hanging in the sling than when I'm tryin' to lay down with it propped." He looked at the girl, at Actor's garb, and down at himself. "They're gonna be short on clothes around here. You, me and Beautiful."

Garrison was suddenly tired. He leaned a stiff arm on the other side of Terry's feet and propped himself up. "By the way, Sister. Your big uncle said hi. He said if you had been in London he would have stopped by."

"Oh, that was nice of him," said Terry with pleasure.

"So, Warden? How come they're her uncles and not yours?" asked the safecracker.

"They aren't blood relatives," said Garrison. "Just officers she got to know at the War Department."

"Anyone we know?" asked Actor.

"I doubt you've ever met."

Terry started to laugh but stopped abruptly as it sent pain in her side.

GGG

Twenty minutes later, the distinct voice of Sgt./Major Rawlins was heard at the nurses' station. The four occupants of Terry's room exchanged looks of resignation. They had all hoped either Chief or Goniff would have come to retrieve them.

Terry held her arm up toward Actor with the intravenous hanging off it. "Would you take this thing out of me, please?"

"No," refused the Italian.

The other two men looked at him in surprise.

"I still think you should have a little morphine before the drive back to the Mansion," Actor recommended.

"Absolutely not," shot back the girl. "I've had more than enough as it is. Just take the damn thing out or I will."

"The nurse can do it." The con man got up from the chair and walked out the door.

"What's his problem?" asked Casino.

"Me," said the girl.

"Well both of you need to get over it," declared Garrison.

A nurse entered the room, carrying a gauze pad and tape. She shooed the men out of the room and closed the door behind them. The intravenous was removed and Terry was helped into her skirt and shoes.

Not waiting for a wheelchair, Terry walked stonily out the door, gown flapping open in the back, past the men and outside. The Sgt./Major was by the driver's door. Terry walked around the back of the car to the driver's side rear door. Rawlins jumped to open it for her. She climbed in, with a slight grimace of discomfort, and pulled the door shut. Actor opened the opposite door, gave her a disgruntled look and got into the middle of the seat beside her. Casino got in next, not at all sure he wanted to be in the back with those two. Garrison and Rawlins climbed in the front and the non-com pulled the car out of the parking space in front of the hospital.

Casino moved as close to the door as he could. His arm in the sling was next to Actor. Terry leaned her shoulder against the door to protect her wound from rubbing against the metal and still be as far away from Actor as she could.

The confidence man sat in the middle, silent and staring straight ahead. The girl was impossible. He fervently hoped she would heal quickly because he knew he would be the one taking care of her dressings. She was swinging in her moods and he wondered if it was a reaction to the morphine, the surgery, getting shot, remembering more about him or all of the above. Casino was trying to get as far from him as possible on the other side. What was it with these people?

"Do you have enough room?" Actor asked the safecracker.

"I'm good," replied Casino. He looked at the con man. "Besides, where would you move to? You got her squashed against the door now."

Actor looked at the couple inches space between him and the girl. Normally she would be up against him.'

"He's not touching me," said Terry.

'You may lean against me and get off the door, if you wish," offered the Italian.

"I'm fine."

Well that was mortifying thought Actor. Even if it was the typical Garrison response. He went back to staring silently straight ahead. He had not seen the exchange of humorous looks between Rawlins and the Lieutenant.

Reaching the Mansion after what seemed a longer trip than usual for all of them, Terry immediately got out of the car and headed for the steps. Actor was behind her while Garrison helped Casino out.

"Let me get you up the stairs?" he offered to Terry.

"Thanks, Actor, but that isn't necessary," she replied.

She left him at the foot of the steps and went on up, one hand on the granite bannister. Rawlins skirted around the confidence man and followed her a couple steps behind. Garrison had heard the exchange and saw the satisfied grin on Casino's face. Craig wished they would all grow up.

Up in her room, Terry removed the skirt and gown, moving slowly and painfully. Getting into the armoire, she pulled out pants and a shirt and sat on the bed to carefully put them on. She knew she was being short with Actor. Now she wished she hadn't gotten her memory back. She remembered all too many things. Though he had admitted they were close, he had also said it was too close. Well, they had proved they could work cons on a mission together. They just needed to stay out of each other's way at any other time. Slipping her feet into slippers, she levered herself up and headed back toward the stairs.

Actor needed a pipe before going up to lay down. He was tired. It had been more than 24 hours since he had slept, the mission had not been good, and even though he had only assisted, he had been the other pair of surgical hands on the girl. Why had she done that at the roadblock? Left alone, he might have been able to come out unscathed. Probably not. Still…

Casino trying to get comfortable in Chief's chair, saw Terry slowly coming down the stairs.

"You okay, Babe?"

"Yes," said the girl.

"You may have my chair," said Actor beginning to rise.

Terry shook her head. "I need to start supper," she said.

"Teresa! For heaven's sake, you had surgery this morning. Let the Sgt./Major cook," said Actor with a frown.

Terry looked at him, just as inscrutable as he could be. "Actor, I had surgery this morning and so did Casino. The last thing we need on top of anesthesia is greasy Spam. And as you well know, I've cooked with a hole in my side before."

Another dismissal of him by the girl did not sit good with the older man. "Be my guest," he said with disgust. He tapped the spent tobacco from his pipe into the ashtray on the side table and lay the pipe beside it. When he looked up, the girl was just disappearing around the corner into the dining room. Ignoring the safecracker before the man could insult him too, Actor walked away and up the stairs.

Rawlins looked up from the refrigerator with a start as Terry came through the swinging door.

"Terry," he said quietly. "Wot are you doing down here? Shouldn't you be resting?"

She pulled a chair out at the end of the kitchen table and sank into it with a grimace. "Before you came to us, I was shot in the same place and Actor stitched it up. I came down and cooked dinner." At his frown, she added, "Gil, I won't tell if you don't tell. I'll just sit here and supervise while you do the cooking."

The British non-com nodded.

"So, what do we have to cook with besides 'rations?"

"Minced beef, onions . . ."

Garrison had only rested, unable to sleep as he reviewed in his mind while staring at the ceiling the mission and what had gone wrong. He heard Actor walk past his room and the door to the tall man's bedroom close. After another hour of not sleeping, he got up and went downstairs.

Casino had his head back against the tall back of the chair. He brought his head forward to look at the Lieutenant. "Sister's in the kitchen cooking."

Garrison shook his head and turned around heading to see what was wrong with his sister's head. There had to be something if she wasn't resting. Craig pushed through the swinging door to find his sister sipping tea at the table while Rawlins stirred a pot of something on the hob that smelled much better than Spam. Rawlins turned his head and looked like a boy caught doing something he shouldn't.

"Miss Terry, I think we've been caught," said the Englishman.

"Pull up a chair, Craig," said Terry with resignation.

"If you're up to it, come to my office. We need to talk," said Garrison.

Terry sighed and pushed back from the table. "Just let it simmer until everybody is up," she told Rawlins.

"Yes, Miss," he said.

Garrison led the way to his office. Terry looked at Casino and shook her head. She followed her brother into the office and sat down in the chair in front of his desk, while he closed the door. Garrison walked around and sat in his chair, studying his sister across the desk.

"All right," said Terry. "What's the problem now?"

"That's what I want to know." Craig studied the unsmiling face looking back at him. "Normally, I would allow you two to straighten it out yourselves. But I need to know what's going on before it really affects the group. You are civil to Actor, but just barely. Do you have your memory back?"

"Yes," admitted Terry. She would offer nothing.

"Then what is going on?" Craig adopted the military demeanor.

"Nothing's going on. Just leave it alone, Craig. Interrogating us is not going to change anything." The girl said in disgust. "We work together just fine."

"No, you don't. Even the others say there is something missing," Craig frown. "What happened."

"I got myself shot, that's what happened," said Terry, gaze focused on the pencil holder on the desk and not her brother. Finally, she looked up. "Until the roadblock, what was wrong with how we were?"

"It was like you were working with Carter again."

Terry pinned him with an angry glare. "You didn't have any problem with how Carter and I worked together."

"Yes, we did. We just didn't say anything," said Craig quietly.

"Actor and I can work the cons," said Terry. "Leave it at that." She got up and left the room.

GGG

Later that night, Garrison and Actor met in Craig's room for an overdue debrief and a needed bourbon. Actor had the straight wooden desk chair and Garrison was sitting on the edge of his bed. They touched glasses, and both swallowed the entire shot. Actor did the honors of refilling their glasses.

"So, what did happen at the roadblock?" asked Craig.

"Someone must have given them a very good description of us," speculated the con man. "He made me as soon as I was near him."

"I guess taking Terry was a mistake," said Garrison. "Five men and a woman on the run was pretty obvious."

Actor shook his head. "No, you were correct from the start. We did not know until we got there what kind of con we would have to pull. If it's anyone's fault it is the idiot who sent those plans."

Terry took a breath and knocked on the closed door to her brother's bedroom. At Garrison's call to come in, she opened the door. Actor immediately started to get up.

"Don't you dare get up and leave," said the girl with pinched mouth and forefinger pointed at the con man in anger. She held an empty glass out to her brother.

"I was getting up to give you the chair," shot Actor back at her.

"Oh, sorry," said the girl contritely. "Stay there. The bed's softer."

Terry shut the door and sat down close to her brother, glass still held out to be filled.

"Should you be . . .," began Garrison.

"Just pour . . . please," she begged.

Craig looked to Actor. The con man nodded.

"It's safe. The anesthesia and morphine have worn off by now and she has eaten," he said.

Craig poured two fingers into the glass and set the opened bottle on the night table. Terry raised the glass in a toast to both men and took a sip, a faint smile coming to her face as the liquor hit her stomach.

"I trust you're going over what happened," she said.

"Yes," answered Garrison.

Terry looked at Actor. "He made you."

"I believe he probably made us before I reached him," replied the Italian.

"You could have just stepped to the side," said Craig.

Actor shook his head. "I think if I had attempted to move he would have shot me instantly. As long as he waited, I might have had a chance to pull something." He doubted that would have been the case but didn't say it.

Now Craig looked at his sister. "I know what you said, but what the hell were you thinking?"

Terry avoided Actor's eyes. "It was like slow motion. He . . .," she gestured toward the con man, "was about to be killed. Nobody had a good shot. And you had the intel. You had to get out." She frowned and took a sip of bourbon. "I'm not even sure I was thinking. I just reacted. It worked before in that headquarters with you two. Maybe I thought I could pull it off again."

Garrison doubted he would get an answer, but he asked Actor just the same. "What was the matter with you?" he studied the man. "You never rip anyone's clothes open, not matter how badly they're hurt."

Actor looked down at the glass in his hands. It seemed to all have gone to hell anyway. "I thought she was dying," he said softly. "I thought I had gotten her killed trying to save me."

Garrison wasn't ready for that confession. He took a second to think on it.

"I wasn't trying to 'save' you," said Terry just as softly. "You can handle yourself. I was just being the diversion, like last time."

Now Craig looked at his sister. "I thought you weren't thinking."

Terry looked up to meet the honey eyes that looked back at her. "You're right. We did get too close. We're in each other's head. Works good on the cons, but maybe not so good otherwise. It is dangerous for you. You have always worked alone. Even on the occasions when you had a partner you kept something back."

So that was the problem. Actor had become too involved with Terry and was now trying to back away. Were they so blind they couldn't see what he and others could?

"I understand," continued the girl. "I just needed time to work it through."

Garrison had no problem taking chances with himself but did not like to do it with the others. This was going to be a gamble.

"As long as you two are working together, it's safer for everybody if you go back to the way you were."

Actor looked for Terry's reaction. There was question in her eyes as he thought there was in his.

Craig took another step off the cliff he was on. "What you two do after the war is your business." Actor shook his head, making Garrison wonder just what he was thinking.

"After the war," predicted Terry, "he will go back to Europe and what he has done almost his entire life. Unless we can convince him otherwise."

"And she will go back to the ranch," added Actor. He gave a crooked grin. "You two are probably the only ones I would ever consider partnering with after the war."

"What about the Duchess or Sister Therese?" asked Terry with a tinge of humor.

"The Duchess belongs to the Warden," said Actor with a bigger grin. "And Sister Therese belongs to the church, if she survives."

Now Craig wasn't meeting anyone's eyes. Oh, boy, thought Terry. She and Actor would have to have a little chat about the Duchess sometime.

Actor continued, "No. You and Teresa are very, very good at the confidence game, but you both lack that little bit of larceny in your hearts that would allow either of you to do this if it was not for the war effort."

Garrison looked at the two. "Are you two going to be okay now, as long as the war lasts?"

Green eyes met hazel ones and the old communication was there. Both smiled.

"We will try," conceded Actor. "Again."

Terry got to her feet and looked down at the con man. Oh, what the heck. She leaned over and kissed him on the lips. Straightening gave her a twinge in the wound but she ignored it. Actor stood and tilted her chin up with the fingers of one hand. He bent down and kissed her properly.

When they parted, Terry smiled. "You do that entirely too well," she teased.

She left him standing there and headed to the door. With one hand on the knob, she paused and lifted her glass with the little bit of bourbon left toward Garrison.

"Thanks for the drink."

As she opened the door, Actor called to her. "And sometime, I would like you to teach me what you did in the kitchen."

Terry laughed. "You don't know how? It must be an American thing. I'm not stupid, Actor. If I teach you, you'll be doing it to me all the time." Chuckling, she went out and closed the door behind her.

Actor took his seat, shaking his head.

"Just what did she do to you?" asked Garrison.

"It was so undignified," Actor said dramatically. "She snapped me on my _culo_ with a dishtowel. It stung."

Garrison couldn't help it. He practically howled with laughter, having to set his glass on the table so it wouldn't spill. Only his sister would do something like that to the sophisticated, aristocratic confidence man. It made him laugh harder.

"It wasn't that funny."

13


End file.
